The Beginning
by C.R.Martin
Summary: There is an explanation for all that happens in the world. Whether big or small, these aspects comes together to form a much grander picture. However, a certain blue cat will find that not everything is comprehended so easily, nor is there really any need. Re-uploaded
1. Introduction

_**The Beginning**_

 **by Christopher R. Martin  
**

Chapter 1 – Introduction

* * *

 _Miracle. Noun. Mir·a·cle. \'mir-i-kәl\_

 _1\. An extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs  
2\. An extremely outstanding or unusual event, thing or accomplishment  
3\. A divinely natural phenomenon experienced humanly as the fulfillment of spiritual law_

* * *

Nicole leaned her back against the wall as the second hand of the clock hanging above her moved in its monotonous tune of gears grinding together. She waited by the door adjacent to her as the next one in line to use the bathroom, the only one in the entire Watterson household. Had she woken up a second earlier, she would have been inside and spared herself the grueling minutes that often made up the family morning ritual. She would have finished and gone off to work at the Rainbow Factory already.

A humming sound could be heard through the door along with the typical running water noise, singing a familiar melody that had a drug-like addictive trait to it. Hearing it drove Nicole up the wall. Well, _further_ up the wall. It was almost like a practical joke played on her by whatever holy being overlooked the world. Like the whole world itself was against her. The other members of the family were not as affected as her; in fact, Darwin bobbed his head to the rhythm of the music being sung as he waited second in line.

 _Ten minutes and counting_. Subduing her temper, Nicole rubbed her eyes and gave the door one knock. Then two, then three, then four…

"Gumball 'Christopher' Watterson, will you please hurry up in there? You're not the only person in this family who needs to use the bathroom, y'know," said Nicole in a tone characteristic of a mother: commanding yet patient.

"Um, honey, it's 'Tristopher'," Richard corrected, his arms laced over the bulge in his gut.

But Nicole paid him no mind; no error in the birth certificates of her children would determine how she referred to them. Her orders blended with the wisping steam inside the bathroom and were snuffed out with her own son's singing.

Idle chatter between Anais and Darwin permeated the house's upper corridor, the hot topic of the morning being the upcoming field trip for Elmore Junior High's seventh grade class. Nicole decided that there was no other way to pass the time.

"I heard that there've been quite a few changes over at the museum," said Anais, fascinated by what she may find there today.

"Maybe we'll get to meet Miss Simian's family when we go there," said Darwin with a grin, inciting laughter from his sister and father.

In short order, Nicole herself laughed a stifled chuckle, glad for the choice she made. She needed to put herself at ease, and what better way to let out a bit of the tension than through a joke at her teacher-tormentor's expense?

The door creaked open at just the right time, too, and through the steam came Gumball Watterson, wrapped in a bleach white bath towel from the waist down. Allowing the remainder of the morning to run its course.

Eight-twenty in the morning, and preparations came to an end with the Watterson's seated together in the dining area for breakfast.

"I sure hope this field trip won't be like the last," said Darwin bitterly as he mulled over a sequence of unpleasant memories.

"You're still getting worked up over _that_? It really wasn't that bad, dude," said Gumball with a shrug, shoveling down another spoonful of cereal afterwards. "I bet you that you'll be looking back at this ten years from now and laugh." His subsequent garbled remarks flung particles of wheat and milk at his pet-turned-brother's face, though the latter didn't notice. Either that, or he didn't mind at all.

"Uh, I don't think I'll ever find being punched in the face by a kangaroo funny. I swear, she was onto me."

Darwin's face and gills tightened in a scowl from revisiting the image. If he took the time to consider his approach, things would have turned out differently. Maybe had he not mistaken the creature for a male—it was obviously female just by seeing its pouch and the joey in it—and had he not come too close when he volunteered to feed it, the incident would have been averted. The kangaroo and child would not feel threatened the way they did then. The day would have ended better.

He felt like he'd be a good fit in a 'hilarious home videos' show or something. It was mortifying. It sucked. Badly.

"It's a museum, Darwin. Calm down," Anais included, shaking her head. "Really, what's the worst that could happen in a place like that?"

"Come on, buddy. Just bury the hatchet." Gumball ran a finger on the back of Darwin's head as a means to soothe him. He turned back to his bowl to finish the last of his cereal.

But unbeknownst to the young fish boy, Gumball had concealed his face from him. He took a look at his smartphone—a birthday present from Granny Jojo, of all people—and tapped into an alternate Elmore Plus account he had made, snickering at the statistics for the video of the event that he uploaded. Twenty-nine million hits, four hundred thousand times shared and two hundred and thirty thousand people who favorited the video. His snickers went unheard in the dining area.

"Fine," grumbled Darwin begrudgingly, returning to his cereal and occasionally wiping drops of milk off his face with a napkin.

Putting away his phone, Gumball continued with his own meal. He was the first among the Watterson kids to finish, taking his backpack from the hook he left it hanging from. Darwin and Anais followed shortly after, with their own belongings in tow.

Outside, a motor could be heard approaching the curb. As the rumbling grew louder, a school bus yellow as an orange pulled to the side. Gumball caught sight of it, or rather one of its passengers. Penny Fitzgerald. Setting aside a second or two to wave a hand, he felt the need to hurry towards the bus. Straight inside, seated right beside her.

"Mom, we're going," announced Gumball, turning the knob and opening the door.

Nicole settled the pile of dirty dishes back on the dining table to take care of one more thing before the three of them could leave. She dug her hand into her pocket and took out a wad of paper bills.

"Make sure you stay close to each other. Gumball, naturally since you're the eldest, I'll leave you in charge," said the Watterson mother, counting the money in her head as she gave it to her children. A forty-five dollar fee for the field trip, fifteen for each one of them.

"Wait a minute. Why can't I be in charge?" said Anais with a quirked eyebrow, taking the money into her hands as she browsed through the last time her big brother was left in charge of them. Granted, it was a couple of years now since the house was flooded, but one can never be too careful. And she wouldn't want a repeat of it or something similar happen.

Smiling warmly at her daughter's sense of responsibility, Nicole gave her a pat on the head and stroked her rabbit ears back. "I think your brother can take on the responsibility, sweetie," she answered and pulled one ear close.

The word 'responsibility' struck a chord in Gumball. A pleasant one. What was surprising yet nice to hear for Gumball was that his mother did not crack some snide remark or gave either Darwin or Anais instructions as a contingency plan. He expected it from her, but was glad to instead see her place her trust and faith in him.

"Don't worry, Mom. I'll make sure they're safe and sound," assured Gumball. Leaving a peck on his mother's cheek, he bade her goodbye and raced out the door and down the front porch stairs, exuberantly adding, "Let's go, guys. The bus'll be leaving any minute now."

As she watched her children leave for another day, Nicole loudly returned the goodbye with her own in a doting manner. A tone befitting of a mother.

The doors closed behind them, and the bus had already gone.


	2. The field trip

_**The Beginning**_

 **by Christopher R. Martin  
**

Chapter 2 – The field trip

* * *

A brand new exhibit was set to be unveiled at the Elmore Historical Museum. In the weeks leading up to this point, a publicity campaign had been launched to build up anticipation from the populace. Banners hung and flew from lampposts across every suburb, every street. Representatives of the Museum's committee were sent to distribute colorful flyers to draw interest. Internet users who visited Elmore Plus and Elmore Stream-It found no shortage of advertisements that led them to an information page when clicked. Even officials from the local government had expressed enthusiasm for the occasion, whether during a press conference or within their own social circles.

Despite the inevitable success of the campaign, the exhibit would remain closed to the general public for three more days. Only a select few were given the privilege of getting a first-hand look at the collection.

Elmore Junior High's seventh grade class, led by one Miss Lucy Simian, was among the few to have this privilege. This would become the field trip for their History class.

At the reception area, Gumball waited at a bench close to the glass window by the entranced. He drummed his fingers along his lap as a means to make the time fleet quicker.

On the opposite side of the foyer were two other visitors not a part of his class. Gumball had seen the likes of them before. What were they called again? Humans? Yes, that was it. Humans. He remembered encountering two of them and arguing about being 'hardcore' or something. He also remembered him and Darwin being roped into some pointless tennis match. Or was it badminton? Much time had passed since then, and he could care less.

Eh, whatever.

Gumball found helplessly latched on to the humans' discussion. They had been debating about the brand new presentation for a while now. It must really be as amazing as it was hyped up to be if it could make two grown men—yes, they were grown men, somewhere in their thirties—talk about it for a half-hour straight in sheer excitement. He could have sworn that one of them even squealed at one point.

That was…weird.

Dumbfounded by this, Gumball kept to himself. Or was about to, but they had said something that grabbed his attention.

"Clive, will you cut it out?" said the human who wore a long-sleeved dress shirt. "I know you're excited and all to go in, and I am too, but turn it down a notch, for goodness' sake. There are kids watching."

"Sorry, Gene," the other human, Clive, stated, restless. His whole body jittery, like he had taken in cup after cup of coffee. "It's just that I never thought this day would come. I've been waiting so long for this. I just can't help it."

"Yeah, I bet you have," replied Gene, the more reserved of the two. Rolling his eyes. Truth be told, so was he, but he knew better than to act like a fool in front of a bunch of kids.

Gumball, perching his chin on his fist, deliberated on these words. Elmore's beginnings. What it used to be and how far it had come. That was the selling point of the exhibit. In other words, a gimmick. One that has worked; it had gotten literally the whole town talking about it all month long.

'Everything that happens in this world happens for a reason'. That was what his teacher said in one of his Science classes. The phrase lurked in Gumball's head, and he chuckled to himself.

This was Elmore everyone was talking about. Elmore, for crying out loud! A place where things can happen and will happen. A place where life is breathed into inanimate objects. Where the sun literally smiles down upon all living things, big and small. Where the fabric of reality can be torn apart like tissue paper. This bright, happy little town could be mistaken for a dreamland, for all he knew. Everything that has ever taken place in this quaint town had neither rhyme nor reason, not that they were needed in the first place. And everyone took them for what they were, and they were happy that way.

Although, it wouldn't hurt to wonder. In fact, he _did_ think about this topic himself before, but never like this. Never to this extent, not this deeply.

Maybe there really was an explanation for these strange events. For these peculiar phenomena

What would it be? Will it really worth all the build-up? All the hype?

Gumball's interest was certainly piqued. He was eager to find out. But he was no stranger to disappointment or dashed expectations. And for a huge occasion such as this, he knew that they were looming behind. Waiting to strike at the worst possible time. He eased in his posture, withholding his thoughts for now. Just for today, he wanted to spare himself from this sour feeling. Hopefully, things would turn out right.

As he began to shut his eyes, they fluttered open quickly upon catching a glimpse. Penny Fitzgerald shuffled along the lobby floor, finding a place to sit. She glided towards his bench and settled down next to him, and Gumball sat upright, captivated by her beauty yet again.

"Hi, Gumball," said the young shapeshifter in her usual cheery tone of voice. She patted her darling on the back and left a peck upon his left cheek.

Gumball, aglow from her presence, beamed at her. A flush arose on his cheeks, which he paid no mind to.

"Penny," the blue feline exclaimed, his heart soaring. Clearing his throat.

"Someone's excited," Penny giggled, watching the two humans from one end of the room.

"Tell me about it." Gumball chuckled and shook his head.

"I guess I can see why. This _is_ big for all of us. It's going to change a lot of things around here."

"What do you mean?" Gumball crooked an eyebrow at her claim.

"Come on, it should be obvious. Haven't you ever noticed that we don't have a holiday like an 'Elmore Day' to celebrate?"

Gumball rubbed his chin, drawing his thoughts together.

Now that he thought about it, she _did_ have a point. He couldn't recall the last time there was a celebration for Elmore's foundation. As a matter of fact, he didn't think that the town has ever even held a celebration at all. For a place as lively as this, he imagined that there'd be a fete, party, festival or banquet to commemorate what should be an important moment in history. At the least, there should have been a public announcement to remind everyone.

But there wasn't. There never was.

Gumball nodded, his silence speaking on his behalf.

"That's one of the things that can change."

"Yeah, I see your point," Gumball stated, smiling at the notion. "I guess that _would_ be nice, wouldn't it?"

"You don't _sound_ the least bit interested." Penny furrowed her brow and narrowed her eyes. "Care to explain?"

"Eh, I'm just being realistic. In case this whole thing's not as good as it was hyped up to be," said Gumball plainly as he shrugged. Unknown to him was that his words had aroused someone's annoyance.

"Take that back!" said the human from earlier, Clive, who was being restrained by his friend. His appearance had startled both the cat and the shapeshifter. "You haven't even seen the exhibit yet, kid."

"And neither have you," Gumball responded, clearly put off by his intrusion and his rudeness. "What makes _you_ so sure that none of this stuff's made up? Riddle me that, pal."

Clive was ready to answer, but both Penny and Gene intervened right at the nick of time, preventing the situation from escalating any further.

"Okay, I think that'll do it for now. Sorry to bother the two of you," Gene stated first, pushing his friend back to where they stood. Chuckling to himself, his demeanor going from nervous to deadpan. "Clive, what are you doing? A bunch of kids? Really?"

Penny herself was also nervous, laughing away the tension, but took a milder approach to calming Gumball down. "Come on, Gumball. Behave."

"Fine." Gumball sighed, firmly believing he wasn't in the wrong here.

At the reception desk, Lucy Simian finished her own lengthy conversation with the museum staff members and faced her students scattered across the lobby. With a loud blow of her whistle, she had them at the palm of her hand. Gumball and Penny, alerted by the sound, stood from their stool.

"Alright, class. Gather around," said the irate primate, to which the children milled around the foyer like a flock of sheep. "Good. Before we get started, let me introduce you to Mister Emery, the curator of the museum." She gestured to her left, where a paintbrush-shaped person in a suit and monocle stood. The bristles upon his head was akin to actual hair; strands of it were either grayed or limp – a sign of his old age. "Say hello, class."

"Hello, Mr. Emery," said the entire seventh grade class, the brightness in their voice warming even the otherwise ill-tempered Simian's heart.

"Good morning, everyone," answered Emery, adjusting his monocle to give a dignified air to his presence. "I must say that it's such an honor to not only put together our brand new exhibit, but to accompany the lot of you for today's exclusive sneak peek. Lucy, thank you once again for allowing me this pleasure."

"No trouble at all," Simian replied with a nod of her head.

"And what about you, gentlemen? What are you here for?" Emery asked, raising his voice a little higher and tilting his head upwards.

Hearing these questions, Gene and Clive searched the depths of their pockets for a slip of sorts and presented it to Emery. The old paintbrush's face flashed with recognition. These must be the winners of a contest the museum had put together, where one lucky person and a friend of his or her choosing would get an early look at the exhibit.

Emery shuffled forward. "Ah, I see. Well, congratulations are in order," he said to the pair of humans, beaming pleasantly for everyone in the foyer to see. He then trained his eyes on the class and bent his knees slightly. "So, who here is excited to see our new displays?" The question was met with a chorus of enthusiasm, the children crying out 'Yes', 'Yeah' and other affirmatives. "Wonderful. Then what are we waiting for? Let's begin. Gentlemen, why don't you come along as well?"

The children and the two humans did not waste any more time and made their entry. Emery led them to the building's left wing, across the brightly lit hallways, past one display case after another. Signs were scattered throughout the path, all of them bearing stylized fonts and pointing to the exhibit. Drawing attention away from the actual displays that stood alongside them.

Miss Simian stayed by Emery's side for the entirety of the walk and spared the occasional glance at her class for any signs of misbehavior. So far, so good. They were cooperating. It was rare, which made it more refreshing to see.

At the very end of the corridor was a stairway that led to the museum's First Lower Floor. A towering grilled door stood before them and barred their progress. Emery approached the rightmost side and pressed the ID card around his neck against a mechanical panel with a set of number keys, much like a calculator or cell phone. Despite being one of Elmore's oldest establishments, the museum had seen changes over the years to meet the standards of the present day.

The device _beeped_ , and the lock was undone, as heard from the subsequent click. On its own, the metal door swung open fully. Emery took the lead once again and gestured with his tendril of a hand for his guests to follow. "This way," he added as he scurried down the stairs. He flicked open a nearby switch, and the bottom floor was illuminated.

It was like being transported to a brand new world. Everyone felt it once they had set foot on the floor, inhaling the air around them, imprinting their surroundings in their minds. Rows upon rows of display cases, columns upon columns of items from days gone by, were laid out before their eyes. The orderly manner in which they were arranged was further proof of the prestige behind this occasion. Of the blood, sweat and tears put into making this so-called grand event truly stand out.

Like a shepherd and his sheep, Emery took point yet again and motioned for his guests to follow, adjusting his bowtie and combing his bristles back. The children wandered their heads about and soaked up every article on display. But they did not show the same enthusiasm of the curator's, and neither did the two humans among them. They were hoping that the there was more. That they'd come across the one thing responsible for what made Elmore what it is.

"Artistic, but it is rather outdated," commented Emery, referring to a corseted dress and a tuxedo inside a particularly tall display case.

The paintbrush curator moved from case to case, explaining banal topics like economy, transportation, fashion, cuisine. The students and the two humans took in each diatribe, still holding out for that imaginary magnificent object. And all the while, Emery remained oblivious to their dwindling interest.

Miss Simian, however, felt it under her skin. It was probably why her class was able to endure him for this long now.

Thirty minutes of nigh endless talking fleeted in the building, and Emery and his guests had reached the end of the exhibit. Simian kept her sharp stare fixed on her class, ensuring that they were still part of reality. She wasn't going to have them behave disrespectfully. Not on her watch. Though she _did_ have her own expectations which weren't fully met. Not yet, she hoped.

"I see that some of you are just about to nod off," said Emery, adjusting his monocle. His smile shifting into a new expression. "You don't find our brand new collection to be…dull do you?" He asked wearily, his changed face matching his tone.

At that instant, the entirety of Elmore's seventh grade class snapped into attention, eyes flickering open and heads jerking statically. As if they had been awakened from a good night's sleep. They quickly answered 'no' to his question.

The two humans, on the other hand, were apprehensive. They didn't want to be proven wrong, especially not by some random blue-furred cat.

Emery, however, saw past the contrived smiles and responses and sighed, touching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger. Frustration sunk in him. No, it was more like disappointment.

"I guess it is what it is. Encouraging our youth of today to appreciate the past is not always easy," said the paintbrush curator, standing upright to maintain his conducted presence. He breathed in and out, swallowing the fact like the bitter pill it is.

He took the time to dwell on his stupor of failure and crushed spirits, his head drooping limply towards the floor. For a second, the crowd joined along, except in a daze of guilt. But that did not last for more than a minute, as Emery lifted his head to look into his guests, renewed.

"But that's quite alright. I _have_ saved the best for last, after all," he claimed, smiling a determined, firmer smile.

Emery clapped his spindly hands two times, and a pair of museum workers entered the hall from his left, carting a display case carefully in the center. Inside it was a boulder of some sort that emanated a peculiar light. By its appearance alone, it most likely weighed a ton. Perhaps even more. The light it was giving off bore colors akin to that of a rainbow, and it was strange looking at it directly. Yet it enticed them to come closer. It was inviting. It was warm. It meant no harm at all.

Gumball stared at the rock from the rim of the crowd, also drawn by its radiance. He felt his spirits soothing, his soul calming. The warmth poured all across his body, which moved in of its own accord. He wondered if this gigantic stone had that same effect on his classmates or they simply approached it of their own choosing. Whatever the case may be, he wanted to be closer. He wanted to feel more of that glow.

Chuckling under his breath, Emery inserted himself within the crowd and snapped his fingers multiple times. "Settle down, everyone," he ordered as everyone returned to their original places. "It appears that it _does_ work. Jolly good show, indeed. Now, then. Ah, yes. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the main attraction of our little tour." His stance was proud and tall as he declared this to his guests. "What you see before you is the very essence of Elmore. The cornerstone of our beloved town's existence: 'Marvelite'."

As Emery spoke the word, he stepped to the side and motioned to the boulder. A metal plate rested on the crook of the display case, with the very word inscribed upon its surface in translucent, capital letters.

"I'm sure all of you here are aware that Elmore is a hub for many peculiar, spectacular occurrences. Occurrences that are beyond our understanding."

Gumball nodded his head at the statement. He understood what Emery was saying. He had witnessed a lot of these strange events, these amazing spectacles, with his own two eyes. The fabric of reality being torn in two. Shapeshifters that walk amongst them. The cycle of birth, death and rebirth. There were too many of them to count.

He had seen so much of them that they were practically a part of his everyday life. Come to think of it, they were part of _everyone's_ everyday lives, not just his. He had seen enough of them to last him a lifetime.

"But do you know exactly what made these happenings happen?" asked Emery. Gumball inched closer, intrigued as to what he would say next. "Well, you're looking at it right now. Had Marvelite not been unearthed, our town would not come to be. Without it, we would not come to be."

He enunciated each sentence, each syllable, his speech rousing. His handling of his words deft. The students and the two humans ate off the palm of his hand, milling around the display case and gazing upon the radiant boulder. Expressing their amazement through their idle, indistinct chatter with one another.

Gumball remained behind, dissatisfied with the explanation, or lack thereof. Was that really the best this paintbrush could say? There had to be more. More to this that he—everyone—deserved to know.

Emery glanced at the blue feline and sensed in him a curious mind. Someone who sought out answers but did not receive them. He moved from the crowd to where Gumball stood and flashed a smile at his direction.

"Is something the matter, young man?" he asked.

"No, I'm fine," said Gumball, not budging an inch.

"Why don't you join your classmates, then? You're missing out."

"Maybe I will." The response was spoken flatly.

His options exhausted, Emery got back to his feet and sighed. Simian approached the two of them, assuming that something was awry.

"Mister Emery, perhaps you shoul—oh." Her smile dissipated as she came face to face with her student. "Alright, Watterson, what damage have you caused now?" Her eyes squinted, scrutinizing the blue cat, like she always did.

"He did nothing wrong, Lucy. I just wanted to speak to him." Emery preserved his own smile and returned his attention to Gumball. "Dear lad, what is your name?"

"Gumball. Gumball Watterson."

Emery lifted both of his eyebrows. That wasn't exactly the sort of name he'd hear every day. "Well, pleasure to meet you, Gumball." He extended his tendril-like arm out to the child. It took time, but Gumball complied with his request and shook his hand. "Now, there's no need to be shy, Gumball."

Behind his mouth, Gumball clenched his teeth. What was it with people mistaking kids for shy? He simply refused to talk. It didn't make him shy or withdrawn.

Eager to gain the boy's trust and friendship, Emery perched a hand on his shoulder. "I see that you're bothered. Come, tell me. Your teacher and I will listen."

Simian folded her arms and harshened her stare at her student. This wasn't the first time. To her, the Watterson name was synonymous with trouble.

Gumball averted from both of their faces, not wanting to make eye contact with either one of them. His paws curled into fists, his right one trembling. He was cornered. There was no point avoiding them, so he conceded and looked at the elderly paintbrush squarely. He might as well get it out there, he thought.

"I think there's something you're not telling us?" Gumball began, his footing firm. His voice clear as crystal.

"What would that be?"

"Instead of telling us that Marvelite made Elmore, why don't you explain how? Don't you reckon that's a pretty important detail you're leaving out?" Each question, each word, was spoken sharply and loudly, his peers looking at him over their shoulders shortly. The cat barely gave Emery time to register them, to think them through.

Simian, however, absorbed them one by one, just fine. Now her own fascination was piqued, and her frustration with Gumball had upped and vanished.

Now it was Emery who found himself trapped. He processed the feline boy's queries and was lost as well. This entire exhibit, between the clothes, the transportation, the cuisine and the jobs, was based on fact. Fact gained from hours upon hours of endless research. Everything shown here dated back to the old days. Before Elmore had flourished into a bustling town.

The Marvelite was a matter of its own, though. Every study he conducted, every thorough inspection, investigation, on this topic were met with dead ends. To this day, it remained beyond even a scholar such as him. Despite his failures, he held on to his belief firmly. The belief that everything that Elmore ever was led back to this mysterious mineral.

Swallowing his pride, Emery spared Gumball an uneasy gaze. "To be quite honest with you, I cannot really put it into words. I know it to be true, but the 'how' still eludes me," he said. Before Gumball could erupt into another outburst, he dug his hand into his pocket and searched. "How about this? Why don't you try out your luck and witness it for yourself? See if you can understand it more than I ever can."

He pulled out of his pocket a stone much smaller than the one on display. It shone the exact same spectrum of colors. It had the exact same alluring effect to it.

The stone fell from Emery's hands and into Gumball's, and Gumball was a little perplexed. And so was his teacher.

"You can't be serious," Simian protested, her heart racing like a car engine.

"Come now, Lucy. What harm is there, honestly?"

Simian flinched, biting the inside of her mouth. She wished that he hadn't asked her that. Her history with the Watterson family had always been one big emotional roller coaster. There were too many horrid memories to count. Too many instances where Gumball and Darwin had caused her grief, where they made her blood boil as hot as the sun. If she were any the wiser, she'd assume that this was all retribution for making a fool out of their mother Nicole many years ago. As the old saying went, 'what goes around comes around'.

Still and all, she objected to the idea of a Watterson of all people taking possession of a cosmic, higher force. Rocky Robinson receiving the key to the city would be much kinder, more plausible and more appealing than this. For all the bitterness, all the ill will surrounding her, she was an Elmorean at heart. She loved her home as much as the next person did. There was no telling what sort of havoc, what sort of chaos, would befall the town if a Watterson was in complete command of everything.

Unbeknownst to her, Gumball was divided about the situation. He stared at the stone for the longest time, wondering whether to be grateful or to feel insulted. He had hoped that Emery himself would explain it all to him, but the fact that he knew next to nothing regarding this so-called 'essence of Elmore' didn't bode well for him or his gallery.

"Are you really sure this is such a good idea?" asked Gumball, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course I do. Think of it as a learning experience, my dear boy," Emery exclaimed.

"Thanks, I guess," replied Gumball drearily.

Over his shoulder, Penny was gazing at the stone, drawn by the luster. Afterwards, the two were joined by Darwin, then Anais, and finally the rest of the group.

Gumball tucked the stone into his pocket, maintaining a pretense of interest for the sake of his teacher and the paintbrush person. But he already knew what direction this was going to go. If a museum curator failed to convince him about Elmore's beginnings, then nothing would every convince him.

It was only a stone, after all. No more, no less.


	3. Nothing more, nothing less

_**The Beginning**_

 **by Christopher R. Martin**

Chapter 3 – Nothing more, nothing less

* * *

Gumball felt the gaze of his classmates boring in the back of his head. They had been staring at him for roughly ten minutes, and by the looks of it, it wasn't going to stop. They weren't looking directly at him, per se, but at the radiant stone he was holding. The Marvelite fragment given to him by Mister Emery at the Historical Museum.

By this point, Gumball had just about had it. He was going to lose his mind. Sure it was prettier than your average stone, rock or pebble, and it was nice to stare at for hours on end, but there was nothing else to it. And all this attention was making the bus ride longer than needed.

He let out a grumble and faced his peers with a glare.

"Can't a man get some privacy around here?" he exclaimed loudly, irritated. Ignoring the fact that either Jamie or Tina Rex were looking on, too.

His classmates dispersed and returned to their seats, mumbling annoyed remarks under their breaths. Gumball leaned against the backrest and sighed, drained from the constant staring he was getting. He closed his eyes in hopes that he'd fall asleep on the ride home, but that wasn't happening any time soon.

Darwin, who was sitting beside him as always, passed a concerned stare at his brother. And it was all because of the rock that he was holding.

"You alright, dude?" he asked softly.

Gumball's ear twitched, registering the question. He gave no answer. What he wanted was for the subject to be dropped altogether. Yet another wish that would go unfulfilled.

The field trip as a whole was not terrible. He _did_ find the different aspects of the old Elmore fascinating. From the clothes to the cars to the jobs, he was intrigued by them in some form or another. But the whole 'Marvelite' attraction was but a gimmick. A gimmick to rack in visitors, a gimmick that for some reason worked on his classmates. He was looking forward to hearing the myth of Elmore's 'magic' debunked, but the explanation he received today was not the one he had hoped for.

And this 'souvenir' he was given served only to remind him of his dashed hopes, of his naiveté. To make matters worse, the rest of his class had since been clamoring and circling him only to bear witness to this supposed stone that made Elmore a reality. Like some kind of adrenaline rush. Some kind of temporary high. Exciting, invigorating at first, but not lasting long enough.

Peeking past his eyelids, Gumball glanced at his pet-turned-sibling and eventually opened his eyes fully. "Probably," he said, tucking the stone away.

"Tell me again why Mister Emery gave you that," Darwin stated, encroaching on Gumball's personal space.

"Again?" replied Gumball, exasperated. He groaned. "Fine. He wants me to see what I can find out about this rock. Told me something about 'unraveling the mystery behind Elmore's beginning' or something like that. He was actually pretty serious about it, I don't know why."

Darwin's eyes were aglow with wonder. That could only mean one thing – the greatest adventure anyone could ever ask for. And to the both of them, adventure was the name of the game. "He said that?" his mouth was wide in a smile, and his cheeks glowing a lighter shade of red. "Whoa! Gumball, do you know what you have right there in your pocket?"

"What?"

"An opportunity of a lifetime. You have no idea how lucky you are." The fish boy's mind was flooded with exciting thoughts as he spoke. "To be appointed such a great task. It's amazing. Just imagine what Mrs. Mom and Mr. Dad have to say about this. I mean, they're gonna—"

Having heard enough, Gumball grabbed hold of both of Darwin's cheeks and kept their eyes locked together.

"Get a grip, will ya!" shouted Gumball. As much as he disliked it, he had no choice but to pull the stone out of his pocket and shove it in his brother's face to emphasize his point. "Look at this! Look at it, and look at it hard! Do you know what this is? I'll tell you what it is: it's just a stone. A small, piece of nothing! Just because it's glowing like a rainbow doesn't mean it can do anything. For all we know, it _can't_ do anything. So just do yourself a favor and give it a rest already!"

Gumball released his brother and turned his eyes away from him, exhausted from his rant. From the whole day. Hopefully, that would be the last time he ever had to speak of this matter. Looking out the window always seemed to clear his head, and that was just what he needed.

Darwin slunk along his chair, still processing his brother's rant. Unsure whether to believe him or not, teetering more towards the latter. Even now, there was much about the world that he didn't understand. And it was always Gumball who showed him how the world worked. It was him who told him the difference between a pizza cutter and a DVD, how to understand facial expressions and how to assert himself confidently. He wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but he knew plenty enough that he wasn't a complete idiot.

But even then, he still had his bad habits. One of them was being stubborn, and another was insisting that he was right. These very qualities are what led them into trouble more times than he could count. Just to name a few, there was that time when the two of them lost their way in a forest during a class picnic. Not to mention the time where they almost lost their lives for having a joke at their father's expense.

And now he was refusing to accept this gift that was freely given to him. This gift that made Elmore into what it was today.

Darwin kept to himself and remained quiet for the remainder of the bus ride. If only his brother would open his eyes more often. He wanted him to see it from a new perspective, but knew that he would not listen to a single word and ultimately dropped the topic completely.

* * *

Nighttime has descended upon Elmore later that day, streetlights flickering on, illuminating the sidewalks and roads. The sun has long since departed to give way to the luminescent moon and the myriad of stars that were always in tow. The moon gazed down upon the world, its eyes blinking occasionally, mouth curved into a smile.

At the Watterson residence, Gumball lounged on the bottom of the bunk bed. He toyed with his pen, repeatedly clicking it open and close, as he toiled away at an assignment that his teacher had given his class during the ride back home. It was three pages long and consisted of ten questions, finishing with a seven hundred-word essay. These questions were about the field trip earlier today, and he had until Thursday next week to complete the assignment and hand it in.

Merely thinking about it like that forced him to roll his eyes. Great. Yet another reminder of his dashed hopes. That was just what he needed. As if a useless little stone wasn't enough.

"Hey, uh, where are you up to now?" asked Gumball, moving his eyes upwards. They landed on Penny, who was sitting on his chair typing away at his computer and filling out every blank on her own sheets of paper.

"I'm at question five," said Penny as she wrote, her deft movements creating beautiful cursive writings. "Why, what's wrong?"

"This is going nowhere." Gumball groaned, crashing his head on his pillow.

Penny moved over to the bed, smiling at Gumball and offering him her notebook. Gumball rose up and flipped the thing open, turning page after page. He couldn't believe it. She had actually taken notes during the field trip. She wrote about everything—and literally, _everything_ —that was brought up this afternoon.

"Maybe this will help," said the young shapeshifter, caressing her darling by his lap.

Halting in his tracks, Gumball spared a minute to make the most out of Penny's touch. To relish it, to register it deep in his mind. He loved every bit of it. It was soft, deft and gentle as always. Just the way he knew it, just the way he loved it. He asked himself why he was ever embarrassed, ashamed, to let her know his deepest, most sincere feelings for her. To let the world see these feelings.

He then returned to the book and began with his assignment, writing at a leisurely pace. Penny joined in, nearing the end of her assignment. Every now and then, they'd discuss the question and give help when it was needed, throwing in the occasional small talk to keep things from being too dull.

It made up the next twenty minutes to half-hour. As the seconds wore on, the strife melted off of Gumball's shoulders, and he was now focusing on and enjoying Penny's company and nothing more. Not a single thought, not one remnant about today lingered, but even if there was, it couldn't hope to spoil this simple, pleasant evening.

There were still other ways to kill a moment, though…

The door to their side squeaked and swung open, and Nicole set foot into the room, astonishing both children. She had forgotten why she was in there and instead found herself helplessly endeared by what was taking place. Her chest had gone soft and warm as she jotted down an image of her little man and his girl sitting side by side, conversing for minutes—hours—on end and escalating into a kiss.

"Mom!" Gumball shouted, flustered. Darting his eyes to the wall to hide his flush from his mother. As futile as it was…

It took a while before Nicole remembered what she came here to do, but she took one more step into the room and leaned on the doorframe. She wasted little time and got straight to the point.

"Sorry sweetie," she stated sheepishly, giggling to herself. "Let's see, what was I supposed to s—oh, that's right. Penny, I just got off the phone with your dad, and he said that he'll be over in ten minutes to come and get you."

"Okay, Mrs. Watterson," said Penny politely, nodding her head.

Immediately after that, Gumball rose from his bed and trotted to the door. "Yeah, Mom. Uh-huh. Got it. I think we're all good now. I'll catch you downstairs for dinner. Alright? Alright." His speech was quick and mortified; he needed his mother out of his room as soon as possible. Of all the times that she had to stumble upon him.

Even as she was being pushed out the room by her son, Nicole's smile stayed on her. It was clear that she was happy for the two of them. "At any rate, it was nice of you to come by, Penny. We hope to have you over again some other day. Oh, and feel free to call me Nicole, okay?"

"It's my pleasure…Nicole," said Penny tentatively, trying to adjust to using her first name instead of her surname.

"And we're done here. Thank you." Gumball hastily crashed the door shut, resting his forehead against the wood. He shook his head slowly and was steadily descending into small, inaudible bouts of laughter. He could always count on his family to make things weirder than they needed to be.

As he took his time to gather his thoughts, a strange sensation shot across the lower half of his body. It was sudden and came from out of the blue. It was sharp, as if he had been poked with a fork or bitten by a mosquito. It was warm. He felt it most around his left leg, where he had put the stone away.

Gumball's teeth clenched in his mouth, behind his lips, his leg slightly tender. This stone couldn't really be behind this. It couldn't have a mind of its own. It couldn't be acting on its own. If it was, then he would have been warned about this. It would imply that it really was something special. Which it wasn't. He might have just pulled a muscle. How he did, he wasn't sure, but it made more sense than anything that kooky paintbrush ever said.

"Hey, um, Gumball, are you alright?" asked Penny, noticing that Gumball was staying at the door for quite some time now.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Yeah, I'm good," said Gumball, smiling at her and scratching the back of his head. He returned to the bed and added, "So, where were we?"

The sensation persisted throughout the night, even after Penny had already left. Gumball made no mention of it whatsoever to his family…

…because there was no reason to.


	4. An opportunity of a lifetime

_**The Beginning**_

 **by Christopher R. Martin  
**

Chapter 4 – An opportunity of a lifetime

* * *

 _He stood at the edge of the lake, trying his best to gain his bearings. Everything here was of a drab, lifeless grey color. The grass all around him was short and freshly cut, the blades soft against the heels of his feet. There was a walkway atop a steep bend behind him, where a lone tree took refuge. At the far end of the lake, a bush that spanned many feet. On his right was a park bench overlooking the water, the only one within miles from where he was. Other than that, he was the only person here. His shadow and the sound of his voice were all the company he had._

 _Dreams worked in a peculiar way. Every one of them took place in a brand new atmosphere different from the last. The previous dream he had, he was at an amusement park stuffing his face with a lifetime's supply of cotton candy. And the one before that, he was at a ballet recital performing a choreographed routine – in a leotard and a tutu, no less. Gumball wondered how tonight's dream was going to play out. If this was to be the setting for the night, then it might as well not have happened. A dull scene meant a dull dream._

 _Taking a seat on the bench, Gumball crossed one leg over the other and arched his head over the backrest. He shut both of his eyes and waited to fall asleep or end up someplace other than here. His body was floating for a brief moment until it made impact on something hard. All that was left was pain. Sudden, searing pain._

 _Gumball jerked his eyes open and looked left and right. The bench was gone. He fell to the ground hard, but thankfully it was nothing severe. He rose up and rubbed a sore spot on his head, groaning the pain away. He remembered that anything was possible in a place like this. That, with the force of his will, he could make even the impossible possible._

 _But the bench disappearing just now, that was not because of him. He did not make it happen._

" _Guess I'll just stand," Gumball commented, resting his head on his clasped paws. Again, he closed his eyes and drew in breath after breath. Not much else happened in this empty space, the water still, the blades of grass static, without even the faintest breeze to gently blow them._

 _In his state of bliss, he arrived at an epiphany. Tonight's sleep must not really meant to be eventful. Maybe it was just an ordinary good night's sleep, where he didn't have to toss and turn every ten seconds. After the sort of day he had just gone through, it was more than welcome._

 _With that in mind, Gumball laid down on the grass, crossed his legs and lost himself in the tranquility. In the emptiness of this realm. His head was aloft, bouncing on the clouds above. Eventually, the rest of his body was once again light as a feather, each breath he took sending him higher and higher._

 _Soon enough, he was completely adrift, with nary a care for the world. The real world He felt like he was being rocked back and forth, lulled deeper into peaceful rest. Like lying down on a hammock or sitting on a swing set. It was relaxing…_

… _at first. Something wasn't right. Gumball kept going. He was still swinging. He couldn't stop himself. The pace was picking up. His face straining and crinkling, he forced his eyes open and was startled. He really_ was _sitting on a swing set, holding on to the chains on either side. He could not figure out how he got himself in this position._

 _It was then that he came to yet another realization. He wasn't alone. First, the disappearing park bench, and now this swing set that had seemingly materialized from thin air. These were too specific. Someone was behind this._

 _While his thoughts whirled in his mind, he noticed that the swing set was vanishing gradually. Around five seconds later, the apparatus was finally gone, and Gumball fell to the ground for the second time this evening, his fall broken by his posterior._

 _Rubbing his rear to clear the hurt, Gumball rose to his feet and scoured his vicinity. His squinting eyes gleaming with fury._

" _Alright, this is getting ridiculous!" shouted the young feline, cupping one paw around his mouth. "Whoever you are, I demand that you show yourself! Right now!"_

 _His voice thundered across the gray realm, scattering to and fro, near and far. Leaving no stone unturned. At his demand, a piece of the bushes rustled and shook in place, several leaves dislodging from the branches. The grass was next to shift, creaking and crackling, as a sort of scare tactic._

 _Gumball wasn't unnerved by this. Slightly, maybe, but he held his ground. It was just one patch of grass and one part of the bush that started to move of their own free will, but now the entirety of this dimension was coming to life. The noises were plentiful now, and they came from every angle, from every direction. It was hard to keep up with._

 _Amidst these rapid fire sounds, a giggle rang in the distance, echoing so much that it found its way in Gumball's ear. This was the sound a child made. A child of a much younger age than he. High-pitched and chipper. It went on and on, like a song on repeat. Depleting his morale at a fast pace. Gumball started to tremble, beginning at his feet, moving all the way to his hands. He tried keeping himself steady, but it was noticeably harder now. If there was a time where he had ever angered some god or higher being, this would be the closest thing to it. What fate awaited him, he wondered._

 _Soft breezes blew from where Gumball was staring. It grazed his skin and caused tufts of his fur to stand erect and his whiskers to smack his cheeks._

" _You caught on pretty fast. I'm amazed," said the very same voice, uttered from behind him. "You're one smart cookie."_

 _Gumball turned on his heels, but saw nothing there. Whoever this presence, this being, was, it was most likely toying with him. To him—or her—this was a game. A joke. But Gumball did not laugh one bit. Not in the slightest._

" _Hardy har har," he stated loudly, ironically. He wasn't having any of it. "Sorry if I didn't chuckle sooner than that. Will you just show yourself already?"_

" _Alright, fine. You win. If that's the way you want it…"_

 _A glittering sound knelled in the gray realm – an indication that Gumball picked up on. He looked everywhere, and still there was nothing…_

… _until now._

 _It appeared before him just like that and took him by surprise. Startled, he flinched and fell to the grass, landing on his posterior for a second time. Before him, a human boy leaned over and looked at him directly, their faces almost touching. His clothes were simple and comprised of a buttoned shirt, shorts and Mary Janes. Most notable of his features was his infectious smile which stretched from one ear to the other, compounded by a pair of gaping eyes the size of tennis balls or dinner plates._

 _Gumball wanted to turn away and look somewhere else._

 _The last time Gumball had seen such an expression, it was part of an epidemic that flooded his entire school. Students and faculty alike were afflicted, showing symptoms such as excessive laughter and rainbow-colored fluids seeping from the mouth. Local authorities were forced to race into the scene, and a quarantine was put into effect until the outbreak was over._

 _This child was showing none of these symptoms. His smile was just a natural part of his body, like his head, arms and legs._

" _Hi, there," he greeted, his cheeks puffed and flushed from his perpetual happiness._

 _Gumball's heart pounded. "W-what are you…" he stammered, unable to finish his sentence._

" _Here, let me help you up." The boy stretched his hand out, pulling Gumball back to his feet. "Looks like you got something on your pants there. I'll get it for you!" He dusted both of the young cat's legs free of the shards of grass that have lodged into them, his hands transforming into blurs. Gumball's face was blank, eyes half-closed. "There you go. Good as new. I think you might have some too on your back. Don't worry, I'll take care of—"_

 _Just as the boy was about to complete the sentence, Gumball raised his paws and halted him from making any more unwanted bodily contact. "Okay! I should be good now," he exclaimed loudly, perturbed. His face straining into all manner of wrinkly, irritated contortions. "Thank you. Now, as I was trying to say, what the heck are you supposed to be?"_

 _The child giggled at Gumball's words just now, putting a hand over his mouth. "That's a silly question to ask, isn't it? It should be obvious what I am, duh." He frolicked in a circle around Gumball, without a care for the world. His voice high and vivid, embodying a spirit that is free and joyful._

 _He must not have understood the question, or maybe it wasn't a very good one to begin with, so Gumball opted for a different one instead. "Alright, then. How about this? Where did you come from?"_

 _Taking the question into consideration, the child stopped his leaping and tapped an index finger on his chin. His smile curved into a neutral look before reverting back in mere seconds._ This _question was not silly at all._

" _Well, aren't we just curious today?" he chirped, looking the other direction and raising one of his hands to the sky. "Allow me to show you." He brought that very same hand down as if he were undoing a zipper._

 _The motion resulted in a tear in the very fabric of space. Gumball was initially wide-eyed, expecting the spatial rip to reveal a desolate void. The one where he and Darwin once ventured into, an abode for the distant memories of the past. Anything but that! He didn't want to go back in there. He didn't want to be just another distant memory._

 _Oddly enough, and refreshingly enough, it was not the void he was looking into. He was staring at a bedroom from a strange position – from a bed. This was their room, and it was being shown from his very own perspective. The view of it was constantly panning left and right, never taking a break. Like a camcorder._

 _The human boy tapped his finger into the slit, ripples emerging from his touch. The perspective had shifted, fixed onto the nightstand right beside the bed. It was focusing on a specific object: the glowing stone placed close to Darwin's fish bowl._

 _The Marvelite shard._

 _Picking up on this, Gumball uttered a groan and rolled his eyes. He stormed off in a huff. Even in his sleep, his patience was being tried._

 _The human boy, noticing this, sealed the spatial rip back and caught up with him. "Hey, where are you going?" he beseeched, running as fast as he could._

" _Anywhere but here," said Gumball, certain of what he was saying, less so of where his feet was taking him. If he had to hear any more about this Marvelite business…well, he didn't know what he would do yet, but it wouldn't be anything good._

" _Tell me where, and I can probably give you directions." The boy preserved his cheer, hoping that it would rub off on the cat._

 _Gumball, however, was defiant all the way. "I don't need any!"_

 _The human's high spirits were deflated upon hearing the remark. With a snap of his finger, he vanished in a cluster of glitters and materialized before Gumball the very same way. He held both of his arms out and barred Gumball's path, his hands pushing against his chest._

" _Hold it, hold it. Gumball, wait!" he commanded, refusing to be ignored, the utterance of the name stopping the cat in his tracks. He retracted his arms once Gumball's undivided attention was his. "Listen, I know you're upset about what went down today. Emery's a good guy and all, and he's enthusiastic, but he isn't very good at explaining things."_

 _Gumball blinked his eyes repeatedly, having lost count of how many times he was startled today. It had to be a new record or something. Not only did this human child know how his day had turned out, but he was specific, too. "How did you—"_

" _Like I said, it's because of the Marvelite. It's hard to accept, yes, but you don't have to if you don't want. But at least allow me the chance to explain it in a way that Emery couldn't. Who knows, you and I might also be the best of friends, too. What do you say? Sound like a fair deal?" The boy shrugged, folding his arms and leaving the decision up to Gumball._

 _The feline child, also folding his own arms, lowered his head and immersed himself in his thoughts. Gumball was no stranger to disappointment, but it didn't mean it was easy to take. The field trip at the museum had to be up there at the very top of his list of disappointments. Even after the letdown he had just seen today, he was still fascinated about the beginnings of Elmore. He had never been this engrossed, this intrigued, on a history-based topic, and it would be a shame to let that curiosity just go to waste._

 _He took his time and really pondered on his choices. He wanted to make sure that he'd make the right one and weighed his options against each other. By the look on the human's face, he really meant what he told him. That this would be the learning experience that Gumball never got. Whether or not this boy would deliver on his promise was left up to chance. But after that demonstration with the rip in time and space, he was a little more convinced._

 _Just a little._

 _His mind made up, Gumball set his eyes on the human and gave him a firm nod. "Sure," he stated, instantly causing a grin upon the child's face. His tone was blank, detached, but it belied his interest. "I mean, what have I got to lose?"_

 _Clapping his hands together, the boy widened his grin. "Great! I promise you, you won't be disappointed. Now, without further ado, let's get this show on the road!" he announced vibrantly, rubbing his hands until the friction was grazing his skin._

 _A wind whipped around them, blowing the grass in place, sending ripples along the lake._

 _There was one more question that pounded in Gumball's mind. "Before we get started, I just have to say something. I haven't gotten your name ye—"_

 _Gumball's question was lost in the screaming wind before it could finished._

" _And here. We. Go!" shouted the boy, lifting one hand in the air, snapping his fingers._

 _The wind had grown into a gale. The gale brought both children higher and higher. Gumball kept his eyes sealed throughout the trip, containing the fear that crept in his body._

 _When he opened them back again, they were instantly filled with wonder from the brand new scenery. He was standing at the heart of an old town. The buildings were old-fashioned and simple, not one of them taller than two stories. The ground was a little rough and uneven, laden with pebbles and dirt. Rather than cars, the people here used stagecoaches to get around, even to places where they could have simply just walked. And everyone here wore the finest clothes. He recognized some of these ensembles from the displays at the Historical Museum. The people here were mostly—no,_ entirely _—human._

 _Gumball's thoughts stirred. This wasn't just any ordinary town. This was…_

" _Welcome to Elmore, Gumball. Circa a long time ago," the human child announced with jubilation, spreading his arms wide open. Embellishing everything the town had to offer._

 _Gumball found himself stunned once more at his name being used. He wasn't convinced—not yet—but he was getting there. This boy referring to him by his first name was helping to an extent, but it made him feel open. Exposed. Like his personal space, his privacy, had been infringed._

 _That was the least of his worries, though. He was ushered by the young human around town, wandering his head here and there, left and right, up and down, to take note of all the nooks and crannies. Immersing himself in the depth of detail in this 'dream'._

" _It isn't anything special, but we're one big happy community," the human added as he guided his newfound companion. "This is my home. Well, it used to be, anyway." He spoke the latter sentence in a much somber voice. A voice that longed, yearned, pined. Gumball paid no mind, and he was glad for it and hoped to keep it that way._

 _He led him to every part of the town, pointing him to every direction. Showing him every building, every establishment and every household in the place._

 _Upon closer inspection, Gumball discovered that not one of these townspeople showed any kind of hostility or anger. They were all happily carrying out their respective lives, content with what they had, never complaining about what they didn't have. What they could have. At worst, they just minded their own business, and at best, they greeted one another and offered a helping hand whenever it was needed. A paradise. A heaven on earth, so to say._

 _He attempted to greet some of the passersby that he came across, waving a paw at them and flashing an inviting smile. But his voice went unheard. He had forgotten temporarily that this was but a dream. A figment of his own imagination. Maybe even the recreation of someone's memories._

 _A half-hour elapsed, and the two paused where they began their tour. Gumball was still observing the town's atmosphere, while the boy planned out their next destination. An idea dawning in the back of his mind, he stopped his pondering and quickly attended to his feline friend._

" _What did I tell you?" he asked, his hands behind his back. Bouncing up and down impulsively, continuously, to work off his excess energy. "I knew you'd like what you see. Am I right?"_

" _Yeah, I have to admit it_ is _pretty cool," said Gumball, his lower lip pouted. Genuinely amused, partially convinced. He was almost there. "So much better than anything that crusty old paintbrush ever said, that's for sure."_

 _His cheeks puffing and turning bright red, the boy clapped his hands together and leapt on the spot. He brought one arm behind Gumball's back and drew him close to his person._

" _I'm glad you said that, because I've saved the best for last," declared the human with the same enthusiasm as the one from his previous claim._

 _He raised his arm up high and repeated the unzipping motion he had just done. This time, it was a view of the clear blue sky that was being shown on the other side of the spatial slit. The clouds were thick and abundant, some of them taking odd shapes._

 _Taking the lead again, the boy set one foot inside the rift. But Gumball took a step or two back, apprehensive about entering._

" _What's the matter?" asked the human, looking over his shoulder._

 _Gumball held his paws against his chest, his legs quivering restlessly out of fright. "Are you sure this is such a good idea?" he asked barely._

" _Really?" The boy looked over his shoulder and chuckled to himself. "You don't trust me?"_

" _No, erm… I mean, yeah I do, but…see…" Try as he might, Gumball could not help himself from stammering. Though this was merely a dream, fear knew no bounds._

" _Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. I know what it is. You're chicken, aren't you?" The human's smile bore a more mischievous glint, evident in his snare and visible teeth. "A great big, clucking yellow belly, am I right?"_

" _No way!" Gumball refuted, stamping one of his feet on the dirt ground. "I am_ not _a chicken!"_

 _That was the prompt that the human child was looking for. A leverage he could use to his advantage._

" _Then why were you clucking just now?" he prodded further, his grin expanding. He was a predator, a hunter, and he had just laid out his bait. The only sensible thing to do now was hope that the bait would be taken._

" _I was_ not _clucking!" Gumball fumed, gritting his teeth inside his mouth. Hook, line and sinker. Just what the boy wanted._

" _Yes you were."_

" _Was not!"_

 _Their ensuing exchange could be summed up with those two short, simple lines. They were repeated over and over – a contest of mouths and tongues. A verbal tug-of-war. A routine that was characteristic of many arguments._

 _It came to a halt after the fifth repetition, when the human opted for a different attempt._

" _If you're not chicken—which I doubt—then you're going to take my hand right now," said the human, reaching an arm out._

 _Gumball, trusting his judgment and sensing yet another lure for him to take, folded his arms and averted his eyes to the side. "Why in my right mind would I—"_

" _Chicken!" The taunt was subsequently followed by the boy making clucking noises._

 _Finally, after much provocation, Gumball let out a scream and grabbed hold of the boy's arm. His feline fur brushed against his obvious flesh. As they made contact, the cat was bathed, enveloped in a familiar glow. A familiar sensation. He was about to pinpoint what it was exactly, but was pulled into the rift at the very last second._

 _Instinctively he shut his eyes and clenched his whole small frame tightly. He anticipated a long and high fall. He anticipated slamming into the ground below, probably leaving behind a hole or a crater in the wake. The best he could do was to brace himself for the impact. If there was ever a time to count his blessings, now would be it._

 _One by one, he thought of every adventure he has had and how much he enjoyed them. How they have shaped him as a person, made him see the world clearer. He thought of everything and everyone close to him._

 _He thought of his mother Nicole, his father Richard, and his siblings, Anais and Darwin. They knew that he loved them as much as they loved him, but it was better to let them know this. To remind them of this before he'd leave them._

 _And then there was Penny. Beautiful, sweet and kind Penny. The moments with her were some of the best in his entire life. Without her, the world would have looked all the more harsh. Without her, he'd be a much different person. There was so much he had to thank her for. And he was never going to get that chance. If only he could see her one last time. If only he could hold hands with her. Be intoxicated by her touch, her angelic voice. If only he…_

" _Gumball, come on. You're missing out. Get your butt over here!"_

 _The human's voice flittered into his ears, and he was being rocked to and fro, back and forth. Rattled like a bobblehead or a maraca._

 _Slowly Gumball parted his eyelids. They opened fully. He was alive. He was up in the sky, but alive nonetheless. Still in one piece, not a part of the ground. He shook his head and dispelled the blurs in his vision. In his brain. What just happened? What was he so scared for?_

 _How embarrassing for him. How undignified. His cheeks flushed, and he did not bother hiding them. Even if he did plummet into the ground, he'd be ejected from this dreamscape and would have woken up and leapt out of his bed. You don't really die in a dream. It's only the fear of it rearing its ugly head, making the unreal appear real._

 _All that 'counting your blessings' business was pointless. It was nothing more but an overreaction. And it made him feel ill. He wished he had a bar of soap and a sponge in hand so that he could erase this from his consciousness._

 _Recuperating from his minor fiasco, Gumball scanned his surroundings for his human companion. He spotted him sitting by the rim of a cliff, gazing at the distance._

" _I'm coming, I'm coming," said Gumball, his freak-out fresh in his mind. He recovered from it once he realized what the human was staring at, his breath literally taken away. Pulled out of his lungs "What could I be possibly missing out on—whoa!"_

 _It'd hit him in a matter of seconds. He was standing on the side of a mountain, not on a cloud or the sky itself. This mountain would later transform into a home for a classmate and acquaintance of his: one Hector Jötunheim._

 _From this position, he got a wondrous view of the world below, not just Elmore. Cities, towns and villages within miles and miles from where he was, and he could see them all. The buildings were tiny and the people comparable to ants. The wind here blew in a breeze. A gentle stream that made his fur fly. He was on top of the world. Literally._

 _And that wasn't even the best part. That was just scratching the surface. Gumball started at the horizon as well. At the sunset. He sat down alongside the human boy, his feet crossed under his posterior._

 _The sun had never looked more amazing. More glorious. It embellished the picturesque atmosphere. Unlike the sun that Gumball knew, this one had no face. No eyes, mouth, thus expressive feature, and thus an ordinary heavenly body. But when he thought about it, did this sun really need all that? It was fine already, and if anything, it would have made the scene less perfect._

" _This is my secret spot," the human boy began, hugging his kneecaps. His zealous disposition replaced by a milder one. "I like to come up here when I'm feeling happy or mad or sad or… Come to think of it, I like coming up here period. There's no other place like it." Gumball murmured in agreement. "You're the first person I've ever brought up here."_

" _I suppose I should feel honored," replied Gumball humorously, laying his legs flat on the earth. His joking aside, he was happy for the opportunity. "Thanks."_

" _Hm?"_

" _I mean, thanks for showing me around. For taking me to your super-secret hiding spot."_

" _Had a good time, Gumball?" The human child released his knees from his grasp and beamed at Gumball._

" _You bet I did."_

" _So does that also mean you believe everything about Marvelite."_

 _Gumball hesitated, sneered and laughed. "Now you're just pushing your luck. But if it helps, let's just say that I'm more open-minded after today."_

" _That's…a good thing, right?"_

" _Of course it is, duh."_

 _The afternoon wore on, and the sun was quickly descending. The orange sky was shifting color. The human boy took it as a prompt and stood back on his feet._

" _I guess this is goodbye for now," he stated glumly, preventing a frown from spreading across his lips._

" _Yup, for now." Gumball then rose up, tucking his paws in his pockets. "It was fun, but time for me to wake up. I'm sure we'll see each other again next time."_

" _Uh-huh. Give me a moment to get set-up." He prepared his right arm, raising it high. He brought it down in the unzipping motion, but not without quickly taking care of one last thing. "Before you go, I want to ask: does this also mean you and I are officially friends?"_

" _Sure, why not?" Gumball shrugged as he joked, holding a paw out to offer a handshake, which the boy accepted._

 _Gumball saw a glimpse of his bedroom on the other side of the recently opened rift, but it was mostly just pure white there. Not hesitating one second, he walked into the slit and stopped halfway to get his own question out in the open._

" _I haven't gotten your name yet," he said to the boy, his body split down the middle. "What is it?"_

 _The human child smiled the biggest smile Gumball had seen from him yet. He was smiling at this newly forged friendship. At his new and favorite friend. "My name is Remy. It's a pleasure to meet you, Gumball Watterson."_

 _Gumball, also smiling, entered the rift completely, but his voice was still audible. "The pleasure's all mine."_

 _The faultless white light was all-encompassing. It was warm as the sun, but a little harsher. It was bathing Gumball from head to toe. But he was not afraid. Not anymore. If he was, he had a stronger, firmer control over his fear rather than the other way around._

 _The light swallowed him whole. Gumball held himself together._

* * *

Daybreak had come for Elmore. The sun rose from the east, shedding its light upon the world. Upon every household, every family.

Within the Watterson household, almost everyone was up and moving and enacting their morning ritual. Everyone except for Gumball, who sat up on his bed and tamed the stampede of musings running wild in his head.

The door to his room swung open, and Darwin peered past the frame.

"Dude, you better hurry up. Breakfast's not gonna wait for you," the fish child advised.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be down in a sec," replied Gumball, pushing his blanket off of him.

He brought his feet to the floor, and immediately upon standing up, he turned his eyes to the nightstand. To the glowing stone fragment from the Elmore Historical Museum. The fragment he once called insignificant and a ploy by the curator, among other harsh comments.

He was no longer looking at the object with disdain or bitterness. He beamed at it and looked out his window, the sun in the sky giving him a wink. Literally

"Remy, huh?" said Gumball, to no one in particular. "Hope to see you again soon."

His vigor renewed, Gumball exited the room and steadily closed the door behind him…

* * *

 _Author's note #1: - Formal introduction:_

 _My name is Christopher R. Martin (C. , if you prefer). I have been on this website for five years now, and this is my second fic for_ The Amazing World of Gumball _. In case you're wondering, no, my penname has nothing to do with the lead singer of Coldplay; it's purely coincidental.  
_

 _The reason why I decided to take this story down and reupload it was because I had uploaded it too soon, at a point where I didn't know what direction to take this story. That, and I decided to make this story one of my two entries for National Novel Writing Month, which took place last month. As a result, I now have a clearer understanding of what I want this story to be. Not to toot my own horn, but I'm liking where it's going so far. But of course, there's still the opinions of you lot, the readers.  
_

 _This story is actually a challenge for me to write: I rarely ever write in third person, and I'm trying not to land into the many common pratfalls of writing in third person. By far, my biggest strength is in first person; I prefer the more confined, more intimate nature of that type of narrative._

 _And that about does it for that. I hope you guys stick around and you enjoy what's to come. Criticism is greatly encouraged; feel free to comment on things like the grammar, vocabulary, narrative, plot, characters, dialogue, pacing, and so on._

 _\- Christopher Martin._


	5. Now for a demonstration or two

_**The Beginning**_

 **by Christopher R. Martin**

Chapter 5 – Now for a demonstration or two

* * *

Mathematics has always sucked. It was a universal truth. Only the biggest egghead would be intrigued in this subject.

But it didn't exactly stop Miss Lucy Simian from rambling on and on about the darned thing. The blackboard was littered with numbers and signs as always, but the worst part was that she was still writing and still talking.

Gumball squinted his eyes and rested his chin on the flat of his paw. If Simian were to scratch her nails against the board right now, it would actually hurt less than her constant scribbling and babbling. He glanced over to his left, where Penny was sitting, listening attentively and taking down notes on her notebook. She noticed his gaze and responded by beaming and waving her fingers at him.

Inside his pocket, the Marvelite piece blinked. It was supposed to mean something, but Gumball did not pick up on it until after he heard _the_ voice.

" _Oh, I like her. She seems nice."_

Remy. The human child from his dream the other night. Gumball hadn't pondered on it until now. The sensation on his legs yesterday, the glow that came from the pocket, this was Remy communicating with him.

He could not have picked a much worse time.

" _Hey, what's the big idea?"_ Gumball uttered in his head. _"Who said you could barge in my classroom and talk to me?"_

" _Technically, I'm not_ in _your classroom,"_ Remy's voice retorted, adopting a cheeky tone.A telepathic communication. _"And second, who says that you have to be asleep in order for us to talk?"_

" _But why now? Can't it wait until after class?"_

" _I just wanted to drop by and see how you were doing. By the looks of it, you're doing okay."_

" _You're not my mother. Now cut it out, otherwise someone's gonna catch on."_

" _I honestly doubt that."_

On the outside, Gumball was all smiles and smitten with his darling. But it was all to mask the annoyance he bore inside. He maintained the façade long enough for Simian to approach his desk and look down upon him with her familiar scrutinizing gaze.

"Planet Earth to Watterson: please come back down. Reality would like to have a word with you," said Simian mockingly, inciting laughter from the class besides Penny. She knelt down to Gumball's level and bellowed a continuation. "And she's giving you only one warning."

She stood back up and returned to the front of the class, where she carried on with her lesson.

Gumball sighed and buried his face in the palm of his paw out of embarrassment. What a way to kick off a day at school…

" _Jeez, what a grouch_ ,"Remy remarked telepathically, having heard the whole reprehension _._ " _Is she always like this_?"

" _Pretty much_ ," _Gumball replied, drained from being reprimanded for the umpteenth time._ " _Wait, why am I still talking to you? This is your fault!_ "

" _Sorry_ ," said Remy guiltily. " _Hey, I know what will make it up to you!_ "

" _What is it?_ "

" _Just keep your eyes on the blackboard_."

Despite his uncertainy, Gumball did as he was instructed and lodged his eyes to the blackboard at the front of the classroom. He averted them from Simian's gaze to spare himself another scolding.

A glistening sound resonated within Gumball's pocket, prompting him to pull his sweater down and hide the glow. It drew the attention of the entire class, who were wandering their eyes around the room in search of the source, wondering what it could be. It forced Simian to abruptly pause once again in her lesson and bang her desk multiple times.

"Children, children, CHILDREN!" the primate yelled, her throat straining from the effort she was exerting. "Eyes in front! And if anyone here owns a cell phone, you had better put it under wraps! Otherwise, it's one week's worth of detention for everyone in here!"

Her warning drew a collective groan from all the students. In the midst of their grumbling, the glistening noise went unnoticed and vanished. And with it, the shine of the Marvelite shard.

Quieting her students down, Simian sat on her desk and resumed her lecture. She alternated between speaking and taking a sip out of her coffee mug.

" _You still looking, Gumball?_ " asked Remy.

" _Yeah, I am._ "

For the longest time, Gumball held his stare at the blackboard. He didn't know why. Nothing was happening. Nothing. All he saw were equations and formulas, as if listening to this ape of a teacher drone on and on about them wasn't bad enough. Remy's voice persisted and specifically commanded him to focus on these numbers. These signs, these equations, these formulas.

Begrudgingly, Gumball heeded the instructions. There was nothing still.

He then saw it. One of the writings twitched. As in an actual twitch, a spasm. Again, it happened. His eyes did not fool him. It was at the top of the board – a number '4'. It moved from where it was originally written and spun around until it was directly above Simian's head. Once it took position, another number '4' moved from the bottom and joined to form a crudely assembled arrow that was pointing at the elderly primate.

Soon, the rest of the writings were leaping about, contorting into new shapes, taking on new appearances. Every line, every curve made from chalk scuttled, slithered and slid into positions apart from their original ones. They were alive. They were taking form of different letters from the alphabet. All of the number '3's were turned around a full one hundred and eighty degrees to act as makeshift 'E's and the '7's used as 'L's, among other inventive uses.

Gumball was not the only one who saw this unfold with his own two eyes. His classmates beheld them, too, sharing his wide-eyed expression, the occurrence drawing a gasp out of them. And all the while, Simian's back was turned to this large-scale manipulation of reality. She was absolutely unaware of what was unfolding behind her, misinterpreting the children's reactions as fascination for her lesson. Instilling a misguided sense of pride.

"Seems that my enthusiasm for arithmetic studies have rubbed off," said Simian, her ego inflating like a balloon. Grinning proudly at her 'achievement'. "Good. Now keep it up, everyone. Now where was I…?"

The writings on the blackboard moved along the board before coming to a stop, forming a word. The word was 'fossil', and Gumball chuckled to himself when he saw it.

"Watterson!" Simian shouted, glowering at the blue feline boy. Steam rising and fluttering out of her ears. "Is something funny?"

"Oh, not at all, Miss Simian," denied Gumball, shaking his head, but his chuckles persisted. "Don't mind me. Please, carry on."

As Simian's lecture was running its course, the slate was wiped clean, and the animate scribbles went on the move yet again. They moved in harmony with each other, like a piece of fabric being woven with deft hands, transforming into many more various words. Nicknames and phrases, labels and insults all directed at Lucy Simian – an elaborate choreography. They ranged from 'relic' to 'great great grandmother' to 'could use a shave' to 'in serious need of a shower' to 'circa 5000 B.C.'. And each one of these inscriptions had the same effect: laughter from the whole seventh grade class. Laughter that only grew louder and louder and louder.

The scribbles came together to create one final taunt for the short-tempered primate. This one took more time to form because of all the intricacies that went into it. But once it was finished, every student in the room guffawed the loudest they ever could, their merriment disseminating all across the building. All across Elmore Junior High.

Simian, ever so oblivious, joined in the laughter, giggling at her own comments. "Yes, I suppose it _is_ funny, now that I think about it," she said, standing from her desk. "Alright, everyone. Let's all calm down now and—"

As she turned on her feet, it became abundantly clear to her why her students were laughing. Her temperament took a sudden shift at the sight of what was written on her blackboard.

The slate had the words 'The Walking Dead' inscribed on it, in pure white chalk, with an arrow drawn and directed downwards. Towards her. Underlining the phrase even more was a crude illustration of Simian as a zombie. A literal, mindless zombie, with the typical attributes present and accounted for. Her pink sundress was tattered and worn out in multiple places, her mouth was perpetually agape, bits and pieces of flesh were missing from her body, her eyes were vapid and inexpressive, and her arms stayed outstretched.

Her anger compounding and blood rising in temperature, Simian balled her hands into fists and bared her clenched teeth. Creases emerged on her complexion, along with the ones that were already there.

Enraged, she rallied her right arm and shot it through the wall, leaving behind a gaping hole where she struck.

"Who is responsible for this?!" Simian exploded, her blood now at a boiling point.

Even with all the force she had put in, she was still overpowered, overwhelmed, by her students. Their laughter was a hurricane, and her scream was but a measly little fly entering the eye of the storm. She had her limits, and they have just been breached.

She stamped her feet away from the blackboard and in front of her desk, glaring down on her class. Their joy, their zeal, was great, but she was not dissuaded by it in the least. They weren't going to get the last laugh.

"Whoever was responsible for this," Simian attempted, fists trembling, the right one rather sore from the punch just now. "Come up in front of the class! Own up! Do it now, and make it easy for everyone!"

Something wasn't right. They were still laughing. Still guffawing, still in hysterical tears. It didn't make any sense. She always made good on her own word, on her threats. They were never empty. But this time, it wasn't working as she had expected. It wasn't happening. It just wasn't. She had to be dreaming. This had to be a nightmare. A night terror. Something she could eject herself out of.

She sealed her eyes shut and repelled the scourging laughter.

 _It's just a dream._

 _It's just a dream._

 _It's just a dream._

 _It's just a dream._

 _It's just a dream._

For all of one minute, the world was empty. She opened her eyes and the classroom had returned, and the laughter along with it. Reality had struck her full force – a speeding bullet, a racecar dashing at a hundred miles per hour.

Her students were enjoying themselves, having the time of their lives, at her expense. With every second that ticked away, her fury was extinguished little by little. Replaced by something else. Something she knew intimately. Something colder. Something harsher.

 _Make it stop! For the love of all things good and holy, make it stop!_

Simian's eyes were misty. She held a hand over a mouth to muffle her sobbing. But it could only do so much. The more she stayed in that classroom, the more she wanted to cry. The more she gave in to the urge.

Outnumbered on a nine to one scale, she darted out the door, a weeping, tear-shedding mess.

And still, the class did not stop. Their laughter lasted a while before dying out completely, and they were left breathless, desperately regaining breath. Gumball peered out the doorframe and saw a wet trail left in Simian's wake. She must have been hurt so bad to have cried this much.

Perhaps they all went a smidge too far?

Just a little bit?

…

…

…

…

Nah.

* * *

"I don't think I've seen anyone cry this bad since my dad made me and Rachel give him a foot rub."

"That's because _you_ were the one crying, Tobias."

"It was _not_ me! I just ate an onion for dinner beforehand, that's all. I think you're confusing me for my sister."

"Onion, huh? Yeah, sure, whatever floats your boat, man."

The queue in the cafeteria was as long as it ever was, stretching past the pair of swinging doors. A small queue was something of a rarity. There would always be a row of children lined up with their trays in tow. There would always be mouths to feed.

Luckily for Gumball, he had arrived earlier than his peers and was third in line. During the long wait, he overheard the discussion between his classmates—Tobias Wilson, Masami, Anton, Carmen, Alan and Banana Joe—behind his back. He was against eavesdropping of any kind, but since they were right next to each other, it couldn't be helped. He rolled his eyes at the absurdity of the topic at hand, but sympathized with Tobias; he recognized the woes of touching parts of your parents' bodies that should not be touched. Even up until now, he could not erase those horrid thoughts of waxing the back of his father, Richard. They were deeply rooted in his brain, and there was nothing he could do to help it.

But that was not his real reason for listening on in. He was interested in their discussion on what had gone down earlier today. On the sentient writings on the blackboard and how they reduced Miss Simian of all people into a crying, undignified heap. Word of it had gone around the entire school, spreading like a viral outbreak or a wildfire. It had quickly become the talk of the whole campus, for both students and faculty alike.

"Walking Dead was definitely the best, but I personally liked the relic bit the most," said Masami.

"You think Simian's gonna take the week off?" added Banana Joe. As much as Gumball enjoyed that notion, it wasn't likely. The woman was married to her job, and taking a leave of absence was her way of putting a strain on that relationship.

"Or better yet, maybe she'll retire?" Tobias suggested. This idea was even less possible. Simian? Retire? That was almost as funny as Richard landing a pizza delivery job at _Fervidus_. Unless of course it resulted in total annihilation or some similar catastrophe.

"Come on, you guys. Don't be like that," said Alan, which astonished everyone within earshot. Hearing him make this comment was surprising, considering what sort of person Lucy Simian was. Then again, this _was_ Alan, after all. Ever the darling, the saint, the beauty pageant contestant, and a few more nicknames that Gumball had under his belt.

Gumball loathed to think about it, but balloon boy was right. Elmore Junior High without Simian wouldn't be the same. If she were to go, who would set the bunch of them on the right path? Who would be there to encourage them? To push them to be the best they can be and much more?

That was the most he could say in that old coot's defense: she was the perfect person for the job, and boy does she do a fine job at that.

"You have to wonder, though. How exactly _did_ that happen?" asked Carmen, touching her cheek with her thin, chopstick-like hand.

Gumball assumed that she was referring to the living writings themselves. And soon enough, they started speculating on the cause behind the phenomenon, coming up with different conclusions. Outrageous lines of reasoning.

He could tell them the truth then and there. Explain to them how the writings on the blackboard sprung to life. But he kept listening to them, instead. Leave it to their imagination. He found every theory, every explanation, amusing and hilarious, Tobias taking the cake with his 'twilight zone' theory. And if the rare chance one of them were to somehow figure it out should happen, good for them.

Now that he thought about it, Elmore was more or less a twilight zone in and of itself. A place where fantastical, surreal things happen most of the time. So much so that they're a part of everyday life. So much so that they just might overstay their welcome.

The Marvelite shone in his pocket again, prompting Gumball to move a little farther away from the group of classmates. He tucked his entire person in to keep the glow out of sight. As the stone emitted its kaleidoscopic light, Remy's voice returned in the cat's mind.

" _Wow, I can't believe I'm the talk of the entire school,"_ Remy commented, amazed.

" _You sure caused quite a stir,"_ thought Gumball, grinning to himself.

" _I know, right?" Remy guffawed._

" _But you might have went a little overboard with Miss Simian back there."_

" _Ah, she'll get over it."_

" _I hope so."_

Gumball reached the counter and held his tray out. After receiving his meal from the lunch lady, he started his hunt for a table and sauntered over to the one with Penny as the sole occupant.

"Hey, Penny," greeted Gumball, nudging closer to his sweetheart and getting started with his lunch. Uttering her name had not yet lost its luster.

"Oh, hey, Gumball," Penny returned, taking a bite of her pasta. "How's your essay coming along?"

"Well, y'know." Gumball had nothing to answer with and ended up chuckling nervously, making himself seem like a fool at such a terrible time.

The half-hearted laughter subsiding, Penny narrowed her eyes. "And you haven't done anything with it, have you?" she asked dryly, having seen this coming from a mile away.

In his attempt to preserve face, Gumball stammered on and on, his response refusing to leave his mouth. Forcing the blue feline to lower his head shamefully and admit, "No, I haven't."

Penny, wearing a casual smile on her face, snickered and took a sip from her carton of orange juice. "I can come over to your house this weekend and help you, if you want."

Gumball went wide-eyed from hearing that, looking like he had just seen stars. His eyes even had the same twinkle as a star. "Yes, yes, YES!" His shout of joy caused heads turn towards him, but he was quick to rebound from the awkwardness of it all and cleared his throat. "Erm… I mean, yeah. Sounds good," he said, his happiness still intact but subdued. "But why the weekend? Why not come later tonight?"

"Sorry, Gumball, but I have cheerleader practice. I won't be home until five. You can come watch if you want."

"Maybe next time."

Both children kept to themselves at the end of their conversation, but glanced at one another on occasion. They indulged in their respective meals, Penny in her pasta and Gumball in his hot dog.

He sensed the Marvelite's glow reemerging and awaited Remy to speak. Lo and behold, he had come.

" _What's this about an essay I hear?"_ asked Remy, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Immediately, Gumball snapped at the mysterious human child's intrusion. _"My goodness, do you have to know every single detail about my life? That is none of your business."_

" _Well, sorry."_ Remy stated, taken aback by what he had heard just now. Flinching from the rudeness that was shown to him.

Realizing his misstep, Gumball paused from his meal, his fists trembling before calming down. _"If you have to know, it's an assignment for my History class. I need to hand it in by next week."_

" _Let me guess, it's about olden day Elmore."_

Gumball said not a word, his nod doing all the taking.

" _Ah, I see. I can help you with that. It should be really easy. Easy peasy lemon squeezy."_

Gumball suppressed a snicker. 'Easy peasy lemon squeezy'? For someone so young, so cheerful and full of life, this human child sure was pretty old-fashioned. That much was obvious even at first glance. Once could see it simply from the clothes he wore.

He wondered what else he was going to see from Remy. Maybe he listened to some really old music out of those old record players with a giant tube attached to it. Who knows? What other eccentricities did this boy have?

" _Oh, Gumball, can I help? Oh, can I, can I, can I? I really, really, really, REALLY want to! You won't find better help on this than from me. Please? Pretty please with lollipops, marshmallows and rainbows sprinkled on top?"_

Remy's pleas echoed in the vast expanses of Gumball's head, forcing the blue cat to stifle a chuckle. That was more like it. That was more of the childish glee that the human had. _"Alright, already. If you want to help that badly, then be my guest."_

Penny cocked an eyebrow at Gumball, disconcerted by the cat's sudden bout of laughter. "Um, Gumball? Are you alright?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine. Just peachy, Penny," Gumball returned snappily, rising from his seat with his tray in his grasp. His laughter nervous, as was his way of walking.

He backed away from the table and his shapeshifting sweetheart, but in doing so crashed into another one of his classmates.

Much to his shock, the classmate in question was Jamie, daughter of the gym class coach and one of Elmore's two resident rowdies, alongside the much larger Tina Rex. The collision caused her to spill her entire lunch on herself. Her head was doused in sloppy joe and she was soaked from top to bottom in cola. To say that she was angry would be an understatement. She had a homicidal glint in her eye, and she flexed her fingers, eager to beat Gumball into a pulp with them or throttle him by the neck.

"Watterson, you're a dead man!" Jamie erupted, wiping the meat droppings from her hair and her eyes. Tossing her tray to the side.

Believing that she had meant her threat in a metaphorical sense, Gumball hurriedly made an attempt to reason with the bull, buffalo, goat, ram…whatever…girl—honestly, what in the world _was_ she?—but he was not granted the opportunity. He swayed his face to the side and braced himself, clencing every part of his body until they clung together.

Jamie, seething with the most fury anyone had ever seen from her, swung her fist at Gumball. Her right hook was ferocious. It would have brought him down in one hit if it were not for one thing…

The sound of ringing metal reverberated all throughout the cafeteria and disseminated throughout the campus in a shock wave, shattering almost every window in the building. Gumball carefully peeked his eyes open and saw Jamie changing her face into multiple contortions. Grimaces of hurt marked by several creases rising all at once and a clenching and gritting set of teeth. He shifted his eyes to where her fist was and saw that it had become jagged. Literally. It was injured. In pain.

Speechless, he took his paw to where Jamie had struck and flicked his head. Nope. Nothing. Didn't hurt one bit. He thought that it was some armor that protected him, but further inspection of his person proved it wrong. There was no armor on his back. His skin was glossy and like steel. Durable. Impregnable. Immune to harm.

Silence befell everyone in the room. For three, five, ten, twenty, thirty seconds it lasted until it was broken by a piercing wail from the young troglodyte.

"Yeowch!" Jamie groaned, tucking her injured hand into her vacant one. She moaned the pain away, and it seemed to work. But she immediately learned of a worse type of pain than a physical one.

A wave of laughter ensued following the little mishap, instigated by none other than the king of class clowns himself, Banana Joe. His laughter was more rapid fire than anyone else in the Elmore Junior High student body.

Jamie looked around her, and wherever she turned, she was met with relentless torment. The same cruelty she and her buddy Tina Rex dished out on a regular basis.

"Shut up, I'm warning you all!" commanded Jamie despite her injury, maintaining a brave face.

Her order went unheeded, and everyone continued laughing. Out of everyone in this entire room, Tina was the only one who didn't partake in the humiliation. It would have comforted Jamie to know this, but it was outweighed heavily by the mockery.

Jamie held herself together better than Simian did earlier in the day, forcing the tears back into her eye. But she could only put up her toothy glower for so long. It started to quiver now. Perhaps she could still strike fear into her peers with her words.

"That does it." Her voice was cracking, and Jamie clasped her hands over her mouth. Despite this, she did not concede and added, "You're all booked for an appointment with Doctor Southpaw and Nurse Orthodox."

There. Threat delivered. But it did no good. The teasing went on. The tears flooded Jamie's eyes and could fall at any minute now. She was on the brink. She had never been in this position before. Now she knew what it meant to be on the receiving end. How it felt to endure the hurting. What it meant to feel small and be stomped on day in and day out. It was horrible. Beyond awful.

Unable to take it any longer, Jamie ran out the doors whilst still cradling her injured hand. She waited until she was out of sight before letting the tears fall. Before crying her heart out. Where she would do, she didn't seem to think of much. What was really important to her was that she find someplace where she felt safe. Where she could cry as much as she pleased.

The laughter in the cafeteria was replaced by uproarious cheering. Every student save for Tina milled around Gumball to commend him for his bravery. For standing up to a bully and giving her a taste of her own medicine.

"Showed a lot of guts just now, Gumball," said Tobias, putting his arm around the young cat. "Not as much guts as me, but you did good." He gave him a hard pat on the back – a mistake on his part. His hand vibrated from hitting the metallic skin.

"Um, thanks," Gumball answered with uncertainty, tepidly accepting the praise. _"You can turn it off now, Remy. It's all over."_

Within the confines of the Marvelite, Remy listened and abided by his friend's request, snapping his fingers and reverting Gumball back to normal. He took the smile on Gumball's face as an indication that he was now accepting of the stone's power or at least warming up to it.

Whether or not his opinions really have changed was anyone's guess, but it was definitely a good sign.


	6. Let me show you something

_**The Beginning**_

 **by Christopher R. Martin**

Chapter 6 – Let me show you something

* * *

Dinner time at the Wattersons was like any other family's. It was mild, laidback and a chance for everyone around the table to give an account of their day and grow closer over a finely cooked meal. And tonight's specialty: roast chicken. This was by far one of the more normal aspects in life for them.

Really, though, that wasn't saying much…

"Make that face again, Gumball," said Darwin, shoving spoonfuls of his food into his mouth.

"Which one?" asked Gumball as he helped himself to a side of mashed potatoes.

"The one Jamie made at lunch today. You know what I'm talking about."

"Oh, that one."

Gumball rolled his eyes. And that made five times that he was asked that. Giving out a sigh, he strained his face until it perfectly resembled the pained grimace Jamie made at school. Eyes jutting out, teeth clenched and gritting back and forth like a saw, and his entire complexion stiff as a board.

Darwin planted his forehead flat on the table and chortled at the face, tapping the surface with his fin. "Dude, you look like an owl that just got itself fixed." He repressed his giggling to allow the remark passage.

His face returning to normal, Gumball began chortling as well.

"Wait, wait, wait. Jamie?" Anais interjected. "As in _the_ Jamie? You mean 'the coach's daughter' Jamie?" Her questions were met with a nod from her big brother. She had heard the rumors during the day, and yet even with that confirmation, she was still in disbelief. Baffled, she stammered a response. "T-that's not possible. That girl has jackhammers for hands, and you have"—she took her brother's hand into her own and lifted it up to stress her point—"these."

"Well, sometimes things don't always turn out the way you expect them to, sis," said Gumball. Unbeknownst to him was that his statement had officially piqued his little sister's curiosity.

Nicole cocked an eyebrow at the topic at hand whilst her husband Richard took the roast chicken off of her paws.

"You got into a fight today?" cried Nicole, raising her voice for her son to hear.

"I know, caught me off-guard, too. It's not every day that happens," Richard joined, also keen on the discussion, but for a different reason.

"And Principal Brown didn't even bother to give me a call?"

Nicole rubbed the bridge of her nose, her fingers pinching her snout. Far be it from her to question the way the man ran his school, or his lifestyle in general, but it sure wouldn't kill him to take an initiative. If that were her as the principal instead of him, that would be the first of the many changes she would bring about.

"Gumball, sweetie, what happened afterwards?"

"She ran off crying," said Darwin, beating his brother to the punch.

"And did you apologize to this poor girl?"

"I tried to, but she left before I could say anything."

Breathing in and out, Nicole resumed her meal and allowed herself some time to think.

She wasn't the smartest or most level-headed person in the world – a fact about her that she deeply regretted, even up to now, especially in regards to the former. Marrying young, dropping out of college, her overly-competitive streak, they were a few entries in her long list of faults. And as of recent, she endeavored to rectify these mistakes with her recent enrolment at Elmore Polytechnic College.

Be that as it may, one aspect to her that no amount of education could give was her devotion. Her dedication to her family. She had faith in her capacity as a parent and as a wife. Though her children and her husband may grate on her nerves on more instances than one, they were always her first priority. Gumball, Darwin and Anais, she had raised all three of them well. She wasn't exactly the stranger to being proud of her family as she thought she was.

But her job as a parent was not over. It probably wouldn't end for a long time to come. There were still many ways to guide her children. To ensure that they didn't stray from the righteous road. From the vision she had for them. There were still fragments of wisdom to share.

Halting in the middle of her meal, Nicole laid down her utensils on her plate. Her features lightened as she prepared herself. Prepared herself to swallow her pride. "Listen to me, everyone," she said, gaining the attention of children. One thing was missing. She could tell from the munching and moaning coming from her right. "I said _everyone_."

Richard heeded his wife's order and let go of the drumstick he had gone to town on.

"Thank you," Nicole continued, hiding her exasperation. Her eyes jumped from every member of the family, starting with her husband and ending with her first-born son. "Gumball, Richard, Darwin, Anais, I know that there's a lot of people out there that we most likely won't be too fond of, and we'll find ourselves in trouble once in a while. But we should all remember to at least make an effort to treat everyone the way we want to be treated. We'll definitely come across some unpleasant company, but it doesn't mean we should be like them or worse than them."

"But what about you, Mrs. Mom?" said Darwin, his naivete showing. "You sometimes pick fights, too. You've lost your cool many times. Remember when you chased down Miss Simian in the highway or when you went over to the junkyard and beat up on Mr. Rex? Oh, and let's not forget your fight with Granny Jojo."

And there it was. That was it. Nicole paused and inhaled deeply. That was the point where she had to swallow her pride, as bitter a pill as it was. She ground her teeth as the imaginary pill slid down her throat, composing herself seconds after.

"Thank you, Darwin, for bringing that up," Nicole uttered, breathing in and out. Preserving her cool as best as she could. "I admit that I'm somewhat guilty of thi—okay, _very_ guilty of this, and I _have_ been working on it. But it doesn't mean you should repeat my mistakes. So Gumball." Her eyes were set strictly on her eldest son, whose head was perched on his linked paws. "If you ever see this Jamie girl in school again, I want you to find her and follow through on your apology. You'll never know, she just might be glad that you went out of your way. Do you understand?"

Gumball had to resist bursting into laughter there. Being friends with Jamie sounded just as rich, as good and ludicrous, as Miss Simian's retirement. That aside, everything else that was just said, he took to heart. His mother brought him up to be an upstanding, fine young man.

"I do, Mom," he nodded. "Loud and clear."

"Good."

* * *

" _And your total comes to fifteen dollars and seventy-five cents."_

" _Sure thing. Here you go, ma'am."_

" _Thank you. You have a nice day now, young man."_

" _You too."_

 _As he bade the confectioner goodbye, Remy trotted out of the candy shop in a cheery hum. Along the sidewalk, Gumball had been waiting for the human to finish his business inside, leaning on a light pole with his legs crossed._

 _The two children sighted each other, and Remy's greeting was tossing one of his bags of candy right at his friend._

 _Gumball, as the feline he is, reflexively caught the bag in his paw, inspiring awe in the human boy._

" _Hey, nice catch," lauded Remy, whistling at the feat._

" _Thanks." Gumball grinned._

 _His expression quickly faded, however, as more and more passersby stared on at him._

 _According to Remy, the dreamscape he had created during their first meeting was incomplete. There were a lot of aspects to the old Elmore that he had forgotten to include, such as the candy store he had just visited. He was too overzealous to lead his cat friend around his own home that he ended up neglecting these facets because of it. It was also the reason why none of the townspeople could notice them._

 _That was no longer the case this time around, and Remy made perfectly sure that he conjured up the realm more carefully, more thoroughly. Now, Elmore was much larger than before, with all the gaps filled out and buildings standing in areas that were once empty._

 _And for better or worse, this also meant that they could speak with and touch the townspeople. On one hand, Gumball was getting more of a feel for the old days than he did during his first meeting with the human boy. It made the place seem real rather than a dream, like he was actually standing there. But on the other, he was attracting more attention than he wanted. Wherever he turned, there was always at least one onlooker gawking at him. Usually, it was a child. He couldn't blame them for being bewildered at the sight of him; none of them most likely have not ever seen a cat who could walk on two legs and speak in their tongue before._

 _It felt a little strange being the odd one out. The only non-human within a wide radius. It was strange…and a little sad._

 _The newest onlooker, a little girl with her brunette hair bundled up in a bun, cried out to her mother and pointed her to him, an excited stare on her face. Announcing to the whole town that there was a walking, talking, blue cat in their midst. Eventually drawing up a clamoring crowd of commoners._

 _Averting his eyes from the little girl's, Gumball was helpless to prevent his cheeks from flushing in embarrassment. And it wasn't the pleasant, secretly-glad-that-I'm-being-noticed embarrassment, either. It was more of the please-leave-me-alone-I-did-nothing wrong variant. If he could compare himself to something—or some_ one _—it would definitely be a 'star attraction' at a freak show._

" _Can we please go somewhere else?" Gumball begged, feeling the need to cower into a corner._

" _Why? What's wro—" Remy observed the amassing crowd and changed his complexion accordingly. "Oh. Just a second. We'll be out of here in a jiffy."_

 _The human proceeded to 'unzip' space itself yet again, and he and Gumball stepped into the gateway, getting as far from the people as possible. They found themselves on the mountainside, beholding the cloudless sky and the blazing sun. It was the most immediate place Remy could think of and was as good as any. No, it was better than any other._

 _Gumball and Remy sat at the edge of the cliff, the latter swinging his feet under the rock. Gumball peeked into his bag and fished his arm inside of it. His paw touched and pushed against different objects of all sorts of textures. A few of them were soft and gooey, while another were hard as stone._

 _After examining the contents for a little while, he took his pick and pulled his paw out. Unsure as to what the object was, he held it close to his eyes, squinting one and scanning it with the other. It had the shape of a cube and the consistency of paste._

" _What are you doing?" asked Remy, chortling with a bulge in his cheek._

" _What the heck is this?" asked Gumball. "Looks like an ice cube."_

 _Remy giggled again. "Don't tell me you've never seen Turkish Delight before."_

"That's _what this is?"_

 _Of course, Gumball knew what Turkish Delight was. Except this didn't look like any Turkish Delight he had ever seen. It was more powdery and much softer. Yet another distinction between his Elmore and the Elmore from way back when._

 _He flicked the cube into his mouth and took a bite. He was on cloud nine as his mind registered the taste._ I might not want to wake up just yet, _he joked. Real or dream, he wanted more of it._

 _Gumball waited until he had finished nearly half of the Turkish Delight before getting started with the hard candy. At least, that's what he thought it was. He pulled one out of the bag, and Remy once again described the piece of confectionery in the cat's palm._

 _Caramel-flavored toffee. Again, Gumball was familiar with this particular sweet. But again, this toffee was not unlike most others. This one was rough. Rough in shape, and rough in texture. After a quick lick of it, though, he was comfortable with inserting it in his mouth._

 _Seconds, minutes elapsed, and Gumball and Remy indulged themselves in their sweets and one another's company. The best part was they were all alone, in the most ideal secret spot in the world. No parents, no adults were there to nag them about this or remind them of that._

 _Gumball was nearing the end of his bag, while Remy had just finished his, releasing it from his hands. Watching it as it was carried away by the wind. He expected it to smack onto some poor soul's face or, if the fates were smiling, miraculously land in a trash can._

 _As Gumball bit into his last toffee, he cast his eyes upon the sun, shielding them from the harsh rays with his arm. He fell into a state of tranquility that was otherworldly. Much like every phenomena that has swept across Elmore. Looking at this, the marvel of nature, gently prompted his thoughts to swirl._

" _Hey, Remy?" said the blue cat, maintaining his gaze on the sun._

" _Yeah?" Remy turned his head to Gumball, smiling mildly._

" _Why don't you tell me about yourself? Just a little bit will do."_

" _Huh?"_

" _It's just that you keep poking your nose into my life quite a lot that I think it's only fair you share with me a bit of yours."_

" _Hm?" Remy stroked his chin, considering the request thoroughly._

" _And didn't you say you wanted to help me with my essay?"_

" _Yes, I did."_

" _Well, this is how you can help."_

 _Remy tilted his head downwards, still thinking the request through. Only now did he arrive at a decision. It was a tall order. Not because he was uncomfortable with sharing himself with other people, even his friends, but because doing so would be more…complicated, for lack of a better word, than necessary. There were more layers to the tale than one. So much ground to cover that he'd need more than one visit to the dream realm to reach the end._

 _Really, what poor sap would subject himself to that kind of torture?_

" _Okay," said Remy, getting up on his feet. "But just in case." With a snap of his finger, a pure white pillow appeared on the side. "You've been warned: you're going to fall asleep in the middle of this."_

" _Ah, yeah?" Gumball rose up as well and picked the pillow up, only to discard it down the cliff. "Try me. I have all the time in the world."_

 _Facepalming himself, Remy beckoned for a current of wind to come flying. The current reached galeforce levels in no time at all and carried the two children away._

 _It occurred to Gumball how much more complex Remy's mode of transportation was. He himself detailed it for his listening pleasure. The rips in the fabric of space were pathways that led to a different part of the current dreamscape. The strong vortex of wind brought him from one dreamscape, one realm, to another._

 _In all honesty, it made about as much sense as anything in these dreams as of late—i.e. none—but this was Remy's domain, not his. Who was he to complain?_

 _Bearing this in mind, Gumball kept his footing firm and clenched his body for good measure. Tucking in every limb and closing his eyes. As soon as they made touchdown, he released the tension and followed Remy across the new realm._

 _Why did it seem to him that nothing has changed? Like all that time and energy brewing up a storm could have been saved and used for something else?_

 _Maybe it was because nothing_ has _changed. Maybe it was because this was still Elmore… The landscape, the architecture, they were virtually the same, if only more elaborate and intricate in their design. Although, he had a nagging in the back of his head. It told him that maybe he was missing something here._

 _Wasting no more time, Remy lead Gumball into a house standing right in front of them. The instant the human child set his foot inside, his expression had changed. His smile had gone back to its neutral state, except now it had a bittersweet glint. He made an effort to keep it hidden from Gumball; ever saw it, he would catch on that something was amiss, and he would worry. Better to let the scene speak for itself._

 _Gumball registered all the details that he could about this house. Like the rest of Elmore, it had a simple touch, neither extravagant nor lackluster. There was a fireplace at the center of the living room and an oval-shaped carpet to sit on in front of it, a gorgeous if not antique sofa and a pair of wooden chairs on either side, and a shelf that housed a vast collection of books. And of course, what better way to complete the image of an ideal family home than an array of picture frames dangling from all four walls?_

 _From one of two passageways came a human man in his late twenties to early thirties sporting a suit, leather shoes and a bowler hat – the father of whatever family lived here. He sat on the chair closest to him and flipped open the newspaper in his hand. Gumball was confused as to why this man hadn't stopped to greet the blue cat hello or bolt towards him with the intent of swatting him with that paper._

 _It then hit him like an oncoming vehicle. This realm was completely different. This was a memory, not a dreamscape. He and Remy were invisible once more. Everything was still tangible to them, but the people here weren't. He had to wonder why Remy would go through this much trouble of conjuring a new realm when he simply could have brought him across the previous one._

 _A closer inspection of the photographs gave Gumball a concrete answer. No, it was more of a clue than anything else. Each one of these pictures showed the same people: the middle-aged man, his wife and their three children—the eldest brother, the middle child daughter, and the baby brother. A happy family if he ever saw one._

 _One portrait in particular caught Gumball's interest: the one hanging near the fireplace. There, the man and woman were side by side of each other, possibly holding hands. The baby was fast asleep, wrapped in a cloth and nestled in the arms of the mother, sucking on his thumb peacefully. The daughter had a frilled, collared shirt and knee-length skirt on her, and sat on a stool in front of the father, her hair done up in two braids that complemented her golden smile. Last but not least, the oldest son sat on a stool of his own, in between both parents. He was smiling just as radiantly as his sister, if not more._

 _Gumball took note of the eldest child in particular, who came off to him as peculiar, and he squinted his eyes and drew closer to find out. Every quality resonated with him, not just one. From his lucid smile to his buttoned shirt to his shorts right down to the glossy black Mary Janes, they all struck a chord with him._

 _A quick recap of these features, and Gumball gasped. The smile, the shirt, the shorts and the Mary Janes. It was nothing short of a coincidence. At the same time, it had to be…_

 _Behind him, Remy approached and looked at the picture as well._

" _The resemblance_ is _uncanny, isn't it?" said the human, poorly masking the pining that took its toll upon him. Startling the blue cat. "Gumball, welcome to my home."_

 _As these words left the child's mouth, the remaining family members, minus the baby boy, simultaneously walked into the living room from every which way. The son and daughter erupted through the front door, while the mother entered at the exact same time, urging her children to be quiet for the sake of their slumbering little brother. All four of them assembled in front of the burning fireplace and engaged in a chatter that would run for as long as they pleased._

 _The scene playing out kindled a fervor in Gumball's chest. Watching the family sharing pieces of themselves amongst one another brought about a multitude of musings. He made note of their unity. A quality that they had in common with his own family and all of Elmore for that matter. Both the old Elmore and the Elmore of the present day. If only reality were more like this. If only this were more common, more frequent._

 _Remy folded his arms and averted his eyes from the scene and from Gumball. He did not turn back until his newest, stubborn emotion gave up and disappeared. Smiling was now a chore. A tedious task to do. But he still persevered._

" _I would go and introduce you to the family," Remy began anew, his grin faltering. "But that's not exactly possible right now."_

" _Yeah, why is that?" Gumball crooked an eyebrow as he stared at his friend._

 _Remy left the feline hanging, as much as he detested it. "That's a story for another day. For now, just sit back, relax and enjoy the show, and everything will come together."_ Almost everything _, he added, his thought confined in his mind. Even in such situations that resonated with him so much, he still had an inkling for cracking a joke of two._

 _Gumball did as he was instructed and looked on at the scene. During this time, he had learned the names of the other family members and what they were like from his observations. Bernard was the father and head of the family: stern and serious most of the time, but nevertheless a caring and doting parent and not a complete deadbeat. Patient, compassionate and gentle, yet not without her boundaries was the mother Catherine. The daughter, Julia…well, her actions just now spoke for itself. Same with the slumbering baby brother Montgomery, or Monty for short._

 _And of course, there was Remy. There was nothing more to learn. They were your simple, everyday family, and were just as close-knit as any other._

" _Just one more thing, Gumball," said the human, his tone as mellow as his current demeanor. "What do you have to write for your essay? What's the question?"_

" _I'll be honest, it's a tricky one," said Gumball, arms folded and eyes glued to the family. "The question is 'describe in five hundred words what similarties the old and new Elmores share with each other'."_

" _Heh. You're right, that_ is _tricky."_

 _After what he had seen so far, Gumball had already formed an idea on what to write down, if not a vague one._

* * *

 ** _Author's note:_**

 _Yeah, I've been away for a while for Christmas and stuff. Now I'm back._

 _Don't forget to leave a review._

 _So what do you guys think so far? How's my OC, Remy?_


	7. A different, unfamiliar side

_**The Beginning**_

 **by Christopher R. Martin  
**

Chapter 7 – A different, unfamiliar side

* * *

Springtime was only two more days away, but it might has well have arrived now. For a winter day, it was surprisingly warm. Piles and piles of snow were disintegrating in the sunlight, the ensuing water evaporating into moisture that flittered into thin air. News reports and weather forecasts across town have estimated that it would be roughly twenty degrees for the whole afternoon, if not the whole day.

But it seemed more like thirty degrees if nothing else.

"I could use a drink," Darwin moaned as he traversed the sidewalk, the blaze making his features more pronounced. More tender and crisp, as if he had come to life and leapt out of a gourmet dish. At this point, he could be prepared into one.

Gumball took heed of this, his sense of urgency triggering. "No, dude. What we need to do is to get you out of this sun," he said loudly, grabbing hold of his brother by his fin and dragging him to the closest available source of shade.

Luckily for both Watterson children, said source of shade just so happened to be the local convenience store. And to make it an even bigger stroke of luck, a vending machine was standing right next to them, housing cold bottles of softdrink and water.

"Okay _now_ you could use a drink," Gumball added, relieved at the sight of all those drinks.

"Oh, thank goodness," cried Darwin, dehydrated from his time underneath the scorching heat. His complexion now gaunt to a point that most of his blubber had melted off of his face, even revealing his deeply-buried cheekbones. _So much for my_ perfect skin, thought the fish boy sullenly, immediately overcoming the short bout of grief. "Anyway, got any money on you?"

"Hold on, lemme see." Gumball searched his pants for any spare change and ended up with only a quarter and two nickels. "This is all I've got. It should be good for one drink."

"Just one?" Darwin moaned, leaning against the machine to catch his breath.

"It's alright, we'll just share it," said Gumball, about to insert his first coin into the slot.

"Are you sure? You're not gonna mind drinking some of my fishy backwash?"

"I've had worse. Don't sweat it." That was a poor choice of words on the feline child's part. Darwin wished he had used a different saying, but it was too late. It wouldn't be long until the sunlight reached past where the shade was.

Before he knew it, Darwin was beginning to melt. As in _really_ melt; his scrawny legs were reduced to a mushy orange-colored liquid, with his head dissolving too.

The vending machine whirred and released a bottle of cola into the compartment for Gumball to take. After retrieving his drink, he caught sight of the orange puddle that was his brother. He had almost stepped on him. He shook his head and sighed an irked sigh. This was just Darwin blowing things out of proportion.

"Darwin, knock it off and pull yourself together," said Gumball, refusing to deal with his brother's nonsense. Oddly enough, the situation would have been reversed back then, with him coming up with some ridiculous agenda and Darwin reluctant in joining in the antics or flat out refusing to take part in them. "I'm burning hot too, y'know, and you don't see me turning into goo because of it."

As a precaution, Gumball reached into his left pocket and clutched the Marvelite shard in it.

" _Remy, help me out here, please,"_ Gumball beseeched in his mind. If his brother wouldn't get up and stop his overreacting, then he'd have to be forced to do it.

" _You got it,"_ Remy returned.

The orange puddle then rose up and immediately assumed the shape of a rankled Darwin, his blubber rejuvenated. The legged fish took several steps towards his brother-slash-owner and gave out a similarly vexed sigh, which he followed up with a less-than-enthusiastic "Fine", and by swiping the bottle out of the blue cat's paw.

"But I get to drink first," Darwin declared, flicking the bottle cap off and quaffing the cola down his gullet.

Gumball paid the behavior no mind. Darwin needed the rehydration badly, and it was only fair that he get the first drink, like any other sensible fish with legs would do. Assuming there _were_ other fish with legs out there.

Yet he was mildly astonished with his brother's vexed expression. Sighing and then saying 'fine' as an admittance of defeat, usually that was Gumball's schtick.

Refreshed from his drink, Darwin gave Gumball the bottle of cola back, his smile returning to its rightful place. Gumball inspected the bottle and groaned at how much—or rather, how _little_ of the cola was left. Just a little under half of it remained. There goes his hard-earned, well-spent thirty-five cents. He would have to make do with this.

"Sorry, Gumball. I couldn't help myself," Darwin stated apologetically, releasing a throaty burp from his mouth.

"Like I said, don't sweat it," said Gumball, taking a drink anyway. His choice of words seeped into Darwin's head and stuck to him like glue; whether or not it was intended was left to the fish's imagination.

Gumball was then on his way, with Darwin on his tail. He was too preoccupied with his drink to pay attention to where he was going. And soon enough, his obscured vision led to him bumping into some other object and his cola splashing onto his sweater. Recoiling from the impact, Gumball was on the verge of breaking down on the spot. The pre-spring heat was getting under his skin and his only source of relief was now smeared across his chest.

"Argh!" Gumball screamed, fed up. "Hey! Who do you think you are, making me spill… My… Soda…?"

But upon looking at what exactly he bumped into—or better yet, _who_ he bumped into, he was glad that he didn't explode, as much as he wanted to. Off the top of his head, Gumball came up with three people in Elmore that he was consistently afraid of: his mother—natch—Tina Rex and Jamie. However, right then and there, he was ready to add one more person to that list. One person who gave these three a run for their money.

Someone like…

"Ocho!" Gumball and Darwin exclaimed in unison, the former paralyzed with fear.

The pixelated half-spider half-alien straight out of an old video game, Ocho. Usually a mild-mannered boy and another student at Elmore Junior High, he was commonly referred to as crazy, but never directly at his face, and for good reason. For the most part he was just another child roughly the age of Gumball and Darwin, give or take, friendly and not that bad, albeit a little on the odd side of the spectrum. But when provoked, he became unhinged, indiscriminately taking out his anger on his peers and sometimes on faculty.

And it normally didn't take much effort to make Ocho mad. Just a passing comment about him was all it took to incense him. One could only imagine how much an accidental bump would affect him.

But this was an unordinary predicament. Ocho would be sky high by now, raining down a bombardment of pixelated laser blasts upon his offenders. Instead, he was on the ground, stuttering furiously, static electricity coursing his entire, two-dimensional frame. Gumball's cola not only spilt on him, but it found his way into him. Into his circuitry.

"Aw, man!" cried a panicking Gumball. "This isn't good."

"Should we run for it while we still can?" asked Darwin, fearing for his life. Trembling in his legs and tail fin.

The temptation had a profound effect on Gumball. He was more than eager to make a break for it, but what of poor, unaware Ocho? What would happen to him then? He was raised better than this. His mother _did_ impart some sagely, motherly advice to him about turning the other cheek whenever he had been wronged, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

Before long, Gumball made his choice and lifted the tiny Ocho from the ground and shook every last drop of cola from him, braving the jolts that passed in between his fingers. Darwin was having a worse time, though; the water inside of and on his body gave a passageway for the electricity to surge along. Even then, he endure the pain, having felt much worse. Expecting to feel much worse.

One final droplet gone, and Ocho was laid gently back on the ground, coughing and heaving, grasping all the air that his tiny mouth could allow. The Watterson brothers took a step or five away from their classmate and waited on him to rise.

"Why do I get the feeling that we're going to regret this?" said Gumball grimly, asking himself whether or not staying behind was the right move on his part.

"Maybe it won't be so bad," Darwin added hopefully, convincing himself of his statement and using it to soothe Gumball's restlessness. Deep down, he was fully aware that he was only fooling himself.

"You think we'll at least get a pass for saving his life?"

Darwin had an answer to the question, but was cut off right before he could get a chance to say it.

"Absolutely NOT!" uttered a disjointed voice, immobilizing the cat and the fish, icing their feet to the pavement.

Ocho was up and about, floating off the ground, his eyes forming a soul-penetrating glower. He had never shown any teeth before when he made such a face.

Gumball and Darwin whimpered and quivered where they stood, averting their eyes from Ocho. To their dismay, their panicked state did not discourage the alien from his anger.

"Look at me," said Ocho, his voice tranquil yet infuriated.

"We're fine like this, thank you," said Gumball, shivering.

"Look at me!" Ocho repeated, opening his mouth wider.

Neither Gumball nor Darwin could utter a single word, a single syllable. They were on the verge of crying, evidenced by their whimpers transforming into muffled sobbing.

"Look! At! ME!" Ocho wailed, enunciating every word, his voice now at its loudest and most discordant.

The third time was always the charm, and both Wattersons opened their eyes to their seething 8-bit classmate. It didn't matter what they tried to do, what they had in mind. Ocho was not going to leave them be. Not by a long shot.

Gumball was too wrought with fright to even pay heed to the Marvelite shard's glow in his pants and Remy's arrival.

" _Sheesh, talk about a short fuse,"_ Remy quipped, taken aback by Ocho's violent tendency. _"If this guy had an exploding contest with a dynamite stick, then my money's on him. Is he_ always _like this? Gumball? Hey, Gumball! What's the matter?"_

"Take a good look," said Ocho, completely overcome by his anger. As if it had developed a will of its own and took control of his body. "What is wrong with the both of you? Don't you know what I am?"

"Is that a trick question?" Darwin dared as his legs continued to tremble.

Ocho grumbled, dissatisfied. He opted for a different question. "Do you two know what happens when you pour water on an electronic device?"

Gumball and Darwin had the answer on the tip of their tongues, but were too afraid to utter a peep.

"Well?!" shouted Ocho, his thundering voice causing the ground to quake. Once again, neither of the Wattersons responded to his question, so he had to do it himself. "It shorts out! If something electronic gets wet, it short circuits! Don't make me ask again: what. Am. I?!"

"You're…" attempted Gumball, his trembling calming down somewhat. But his speech was still failing on him. Words that slipped onto his tongue were as quick to disappear as a drop of water underneath the sun. Fragments and stammers were all that the blue feline boy was able to utter. "I, erm…uh… Eh…"

And Darwin was no better, the words, thoughts, he intended to say lost before they could come out. In their place, the same stammering and fragmented words and syllables that his brother was uttering unintelligibly. Though he too has already calmed himself, if only to an extent. He swore that he had burned a lot of blubber from all the quivering that he'd done.

The last of his patience exhausted, Ocho growled at the brothers and glowered more fiercely. He had just given them the answer—gift-wrapped it, even—and yet no dice. No response, no reaction, no nothing.

"I'm electronic!" roared the computerized creature, pixelated steam rising from his head. "I get wet, and I short out! Was that so hard to UNDERSTAND?!"

Gumball and Darwin hopped off of the ground at their classmate's fury, their hearts skipping a beat and accelerating.

" _Isn't_ he _just the life of the party?"_ Remy cracked inside his stony solace.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry!" Gumball pleaded, now in tears. "It was an accident! I didn't mean for it to happen! It's not going to happen again!"

"Oh, sure! That's exactly what _everybody_ says." Ocho rolled his eyes. In spite of their fear, Gumball and Darwin were surprised to find he could be a wisecrack. "Your little 'accident' could have gotten me killed. Since you have no idea what it's like, I'm going to have to show it to you the hard way!"

Ocho did not waste any time and ascended to the sky, where he began raining down laser strike after digitized laser strike.

Snapping back into reality, Gumball leapt away from an incoming blast. He had dodged a bullet just in time to push his brother out of harm's way and snapping his senses back in him. His heart was a sports car engine, racing at a breakneck speed. Sheets of sweat arose from his pores and dripped from the tendrils of fur on his person.

These laser shots weren't really capable of killing anyone, but they were painful nonetheless. They hurt as much as being trampled on by Tina or struck in the gut or other less-desirable parts by Jamie.

Ocho unleashed his barrage upon the two of them, zigzagging across the sky to cover as large an area as possible, a good portion of his shots missing their mark. He could care less about the damage he caused. He had a point to make, and he was going to beat it—shoot it—into their heads if he had to.

The Wattersons did not stop moving, evading each shot by the skin of their teeth. Narrowly avoiding vaporization. Every object they had used as cover was reduced to clattering cubes of data. Benches, signs, trash cans, fire hydrants, everything but the kitchen sink fell apart instantaneously. One particular object that they hid behind was a hatchback sedan. By the look and sound of the owner's horrified reaction, it had cost them a fortune.

Both of them ran and ran until there was nowhere to hide, their survival left up to their reflexes alone. They were tired beyond belief, Gumball collapsing to his knees and panting like a dog. Ocho, breathing heavily from every orifice, took his aim and launched a blast at Darwin.

As the computerized spider had hoped, Gumball lanced himself far and shoved his brother away at the nick of time. The cost was his own body falling to pieces from enduring the attack, with blue digitized cubes left in his wake.

"Gumball!" yelled a horrified, wide-eyed Darwin, sprinting at the remains of his brother. "NO!" His scream rocketed to the sky, past the cluster of clouds and into the heavens. This must have been what Gumball saw—the same reaction—when he himself took the blow. When his obsession over a lame brick cell phone got him hurt. At least that was what he assumed; he couldn't tell from his disintegrated state then.

Amidst the blue cubes, Darwin noticed one particular cube that was unlike the others. Rather than just being of one color, many of them shone and alternated in one continuous sequence. His grief was shortly replaced by confusion, and he took the cube into his fins and examined it closely. These flashing colors… He saw them before. He knew them from somewhere. It was not coming to him, and there'd be no use in forcing it back into his mind. He still had a homicidal spider-alien to deal with.

Ocho, meanwhile, resumed his assault, goading Darwin to go on the run one more time. Matching his speed with relative ease.

The kaleidoscopic cube slid off of the fish child's fins and back onto the ground. As it emitted its light, the voice within spoke. Whatever glee, whatever joy, this voice used to have, it was not visible.

" _Okay, that's it. Gumball, get up!"_

" _What?"_

" _This guy wants to play hardball? Very well, fine with me. We can play hardball!"_

" _What the_ what _?! What's gotten into you?"_

" _Save the questions for later. Right now, I have a bone to pick!"_

Darwin ran as far as his feet could take him, his steps and breath perfectly in sync. The pre-spring heatwave was no longer his biggest concern. What was important now was getting away from Ocho. Getting back home.

Ocho stayed on his trail, an infuriated hot mess. The blasts of energy kept coming, and he wasn't letting up in the slightest.

"Hold still, Darwin!" he shouted, his voice sending tremors all throughout Elmore.

The fatigue taking its toll on him, Darwin's foot stubbed into a crack on the sidewalk, and he fell face-first on the cement. He turned around and crawled on his back away from the approaching Ocho, whose snarl bore a set of what seemed like teeth inside his mouth. If only he had a trash can lid to protect himself with. Alas, he was defenseless. All he could do was brace himself and anticipate the incoming shot.

Up above, Ocho gathered every ounce of strength in his small body and channeled it towards his slender limbs, concentrating it into an enormous bullet. The largest he would ever fire. No one had ever crossed him this badly, and such a powerful blast was reserved for that one unfortunate soul.

Ocho took his aim and was ready to fire, but was struck hard from behind at the last possible second, causing him to misdirect his laser towards somewhere far-off from where he was. Whatever hit him just now, it had left a sizeable dent on him. Provoked, he turned around and saw what had hit him.

"Step away from my brother, you nutcase!" shouted Gumball, restored from his decomposition and armed to the teeth. He carried in his paw a complicated-looking contraption that wouldn't be out of place in a sci-fi show – a future-esque laser pistol with a square-shaped barrel and a pair of wings on its back.

Now it was Ocho's turn to be gripped by fear. Where Gumball had gotten that weapon and how the weapon even came to be, he had absolutely no clue.

For a moment, Ochou could not move his whole body or even a single limb. It gave Gumball an ample amount of time to reach into his pants. But rather than digging into his pocket, he swiftly pulled out an item tucked in the left of the pants themselves.

"Darwin, catch!" Gumball yelled as he flung a second pistol straight for his downed brother.

Catching the weapon in his paws, Darwin quickly took aim. All the questions he had were saved for a little later. "Hey, tough guy!" he shouted, the odds now evened.

Ocho flinched out of his fear-induced stupor and caught sight of the two pistols aimed directly at him. Back on the ground, the brothers hustled together, keeping their weapons primed. Their eyes were gleaming with determination now as opposed to fear.

"Smile for the camera!" the Wattersons shouted, giving their attacker a taste of his own medicine and unleashing an onslaught of shots.

Ocho slalomed away from every blast fired at him, his own tiny heart pacing from moving so much. Like a prizefighter in a fierce boxing match, he weaved back and forth, left and right, each successful dodge a close call. He moved to a certain rhythm, but faltered on one shot which grazed his right leg.

"Ouch!" he screamed and retaliated immediately.

Now that they were properly equipped, Gumball and Darwin had a fighting chance. They made their way a back alley and took refuge inside a dumpster, sealing the lid above their heads. It was holding up, strangely enough, but for how long was the question.

"This is getting out of control," Gumball commented, shaking what might have been a rat off of his foot. "That Ocho really needs a serious attitude adjustment." His pistol clicked as he pulled the hammer back. "Luckily for us, this should do the trick."

Darwin gazed at his own weapon and then at his brother. Now was as good a time as any, he supposed. "That reminds me, where exactly did these come from?" he asked, eyebrow quirked and right eye slightly squinted.

Gumball was quiet. He paid attention to his brother's stare. Darwin had become suspicious. He was on to him. On to the truth behind everything that has happened as of late. If he ever found out about it, he'd assume that he was two-faced. A hypocrite. Someone who changed opinions as quickly as someone changed clothes.

Not that he'd be wrong about that; Gumball _did_ say that the whole business about Marvelite was a pile of crock. He was firm in regards to his stance on the rock being just that: a rock. That it really did not build Elmore from the ground up. But that was then, and this was now.

For the longest time, Gumball bit his tongue, formulating the right sentences. Cooking up the right explanation to give. The right justifications for his actions. He arrived at none of them. "I'll tell you all about it once this is done and dusted," was his only response. And Darwin accepted it…for now.

Right now, they had a problem in their hands that needed correcting.

Taking the lead, Gumball flipped the lid open and sprung out of the dumpster. Darwin followed immediately after, and the two of them opened fire at Ocho, screaming their lungs to a burning sensation as they did so. They darted out of the alley and into the sunlight, their fingers glued to the trigger.

Ocho endured the struggle, but his barrage eventually paled in comparison to the Wattersons' endless assault. The bullets came from every angle, every direction. There was no escaping them. They buffeted him, and there was nothing he could do.

Inside the Marvelite, an incensed Remy yelled. _"Put an end to it!"_

" _You don't have to tell me twice, dude,"_ Gumball replied, steeling his face into a determined grin. "Darwin! You thinking what I'm thinking?"

As a reply, Darwin snatched a pair of trash can lids from off the ground and huddled next to Gumball, his mouth forming the same grin as his brother's. "Already one step ahead of you."

One lid was flung into the air, and Gumball caught it by its handle. Their tools at the ready, the brothers directed their aim at one another, firing off their pistols without pause. Their fingers pulling against the trigger so quick that they were literal blurs. Every single shot ricocheted back and forth between both lids, accelerating at an alarming rate.

And all the while, the impending assault was accompanied by Gumball and Darwin's repeated shouting.

"Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go…"

With the bullets now moving at the speed of light, Gumball and Darwin shifted their feet and their makeshift shields towards Ocho.

"Combo Breaker!"

The result was a high-speed volley of energy blasts too great for even Ocho's reflexes. They tore, ripped, penetrated, pierced his multibyte frame as his screams of agony boomed within a large radius. What remained of him was every last packet of data and coding that comprised his existence.

As complex as it may seem to the untrained eye, they were actually rather simple to put together. Like a collection of building blocks, except they required a little more time to assemble.

The skirmish taking so much out of them, Gumball and Darwin slumped to the ground and took breath after grateful breath. His homicidal streak aside, Ocho was still their classmate. Th brothers knew deep down not to leave a classmate a derezzed mess.

Rising back to his feet, Gumball hustled over to Ocho's remains and did his best to make out what packet contained what data, what information. Darwin joined him after a fifteen-second respite, but wasn't in as much a hurry as his feline sibling.

"Ocho?" said Gumball, picking up one packet, one cube, after another. "Ocho? Are you okay?"

A specific clump of the black cubes then rattled along the ground and joined together to form the alien-spider creature's disembodied mouth. It began to speak, unnerving the two Watterson siblings.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay," said a disheartened Ocho, the mouth forming a pout or something that resembled it in some way. "No need to be scared, you guys. I'm calm now."

"Okay?" Darwin remarked, still perturbed by the fact that he was speaking to a disloged body part rather than the actual person it belonged to. He did not let his guard down whatsoever; after not one, but two mishaps with this kid, he had absolutely no reason not to.

"Now how exactly do we put you back together?" asked Gumball, fidgeting with the cubes some more, trying to figure out which was which.

"Ah, it's nothing to worry about. Give me some time and I'll be good as new."

Gumball was left squinting his eye at the comment out of bewilderment. Ocho sure was taking being vaporized not a minute ago rather well. A little too well. As though it were a minor inconvenience rather than life-changing.

Maybe he had gotten used to it, not just from his time spent being confined to a very old video game, but from being stepped on at school in every sense of the term, whether figuratively or literally. It came naturally with being a nerd, a brainiac, an egghead, which he was. His straight A's at school attest that. Unlike his intellectually-gifted peers, he had his boundaries, and when they were exceeded, he would take matters into his own…legs.

"How long's it gonna take?" asked Gumball as he pondered on this possibility further. His fear and his anger then left them at that instance. All that was left was pity.

"At the soonest, I'd say about thirty minutes. But at the latest, probably two hours." Several more cubes skipped closer to form his pair of eyes. Through them, he saw the glum looks on both Gumball and Darwin. "Don't be like that, you guys."

"But we spilled soda all over you—" Gumball heard a gasp behind him just as the sentence reached its end and saw Darwin staring at him with narrowed eyes. " _I_ spilled soda all over you."

"I know you didn't mean it. So how about it? Water under the bridge?"

After what had just transpired, Gumball didn't even want to _think_ about water or drinks or anything that was related. Ocho may have meant it as something entirely different, but no. Just no.

"You got it," said Gumball with a ghost of a smile. Darwin nodded in agreement for Ocho to see.

"Say, could you guys do me a favor and take me home?" asked Ocho.

"We have no idea where you live, though," Darwin replied, shrugging his fins.

"Not a problem. I'll lead the way."

Gumball then proceeded to pick up every last packet off the ground, with Darwin sharing half of the load. To his dismay, he had ended up the one carrying the eyes and the mouth. If only fins on fingers were a possibility, he would have a much better chance at rock, paper, scissors.

With Ocho's guidance carrying them through their path, Gumball and Darwin started walking down the sidewalk. The glowing Marvelite in the former's pocket ushered Remy's entry.

" _Glad to see things worked themselves out,"_ said Remy.

" _That reminds me,"_ Gumball began. _"What the heck was that back there?"_

" _What do you mean?"_

" _Your little freak out just now? Care to explain that?"_

" _Oh, that. I, erm…couldn't stand to see you all bickering like that, is all."_

" _And you thought that giving us laser guns would help?"_

" _It did, didn't it? But honestly, just watch where you're going."_

The shine had vanished, and so did Remy. Gumball returned his attention to the path before him and said and though no more throughout the walk.

Unbeknownst to him was his brother having witnessed everything from behind with his own two eyes…

* * *

As dusk made its approach later that day, the heat wave that had swept all of Elmore had finally come to an end. It was now time for the Watterson family to call it a day and spend the entire evening in the comfort of their home, in each other's company.

And after what Gumball and Darwin had been through during the afternoon, they felt a little rest and relaxation was well-deserved. Upon their recent arrival back to the house, Gumball took to the stairs and traipsed off to the second floor.

"If you need me, I'll be taking a nice long bubble bath," Gumball announced, raising his hand in the air.

"Alright," said Darwin, slumping against the door. Completely, utterly out of breath from their quarrel with Ocho.

For him, there was absolutely no time to rest at all. The second he heard the door to the bathroom slam shut and the sound of running water, he jutted his eyes open and sprinted up the staircase. He started searching for the one person that could give him the answers he was looking for.

The person in question was in their room, sitting at the desk, busying herself with the computer. He slammed the door shut behind him, startling her in the process.

"Do you mind?" Anais demanded, having fallen off the chair from the sudden noise. "I'm in the middle of a little web-browsing here."

Annoyed, she glared at her brother and expected an explanation. Considering that he had just gotten in the way of her exploring a newly-opened site dedicated to her beloved Daisy the Donkey, the explanation had better be a good one.

But Darwin was not talking to her at all. He was scrounging underneath the bunk bed and took whatever he could from down there to use to barricade the door. He used anything and everything, even their horrifying made-up board game Dodj or Daar. The final object to be put against the door was his very own fish bowl. Not the best or wisest decision he ever made, he knew, especially since the carpet floor was now damp from all the water that had spilt on it, but it didn't matter all that much.

Crooking an eyebrow at her brother's behavior, Anais took to her feet and neared her brother. "Um, Darwin?" she asked, avoiding the damp spots on the floor.

Securing every object he had picked up from the room, Darwin faced his rabbit sister and reclined against the door.

"Are you okay?" Anais made another attempt, tilting her head to one side as she queried.

"Anais, there's something I need to tell you," said Darwin, seemingly ignoring the recent question that he had been asked.

"Like why you bothered putting all these things in front of the door when you could have just locked it?" Anais cracked, her tone deadpan, dry as a desert.

Looking to where his sister pointed, Darwin slapped his fin on his forehead as he realized what she meant just now and felt completely foolish. The lock on the doorknob, which he could have pressed and thus saved himself all that trouble.

Who could really blame him? He was in a hurry. He wanted to keep this between himself and Anais. No one else was allowed into the conversation, especially not Gumball.

With the door now properly locked tight, Darwin sat on the bottommost bunk, ready to tell his tale.

"Okay, so what exactly did you want to talk to me about?" said Anais, sitting back on the swivel chair.

Darwin then gave his story for his sister to hear, making mention to everything he had witnessed over the past few days. Everything that struck him as strange. As peculiar. He explained the writings on the blackboard in his classroom, and how they effortlessly reduced Simian into a crying wreck. He told her of the so-called fight at the cafeteria between Gumball and Jamie, how it ended with the latter's hand sprained so bad that it made even one of the resident bullies cry herself dry.

Anais listened to the account, but there was nothing in it that she could really take out. Everything Darwin had told her so far was common knowledge. There wasn't a single person at the school who didn't know of either of these two events.

Before she could take her turn to speak, Darwin had much more to say. He then described to her the fight he and Gumball had with Ocho, bringing up every crucial detail he could, such as the laser pistols that just conveniently appeared in their possession.

Once again, nothing about this discourse elicited anything in the little rabbit girl. Ocho going ballistic? That was ordinary. Everyone knew about that.

What was _not_ ordinary, as Darwin explicitly stated, was the fact that the fight ended with him and Gumball still standing, and Ocho a clutter of cubes and junk. _This_ one facet piqued Anais' curiosity, but not by much.

"I really don't see why you're making such a big deal out of this," said the rabbit girl, shrugging her shoulders at her brother.

"I was just getting to that," Darwin answered.

For the last portion of his story, he brought up two aspects that were consistent in these three occurrences. The first was that Gumball was present in every single one of them. And the second was the rainbow-like glow in his pocket. The same rainbow-like glow as the one that they saw during the field trip. The very same one that they saw at the museum in the newly-unveiled exhibit.

Anais pondered deeply, stroking her chin and putting the pieces together, per se. To her surprise, they fit each other perfectly fine. Still, she was in disbelief. To think that Gumball would be the one entangled in this chain of events. Gumball! As in her own big brother Gumball, the one who blatantly stated that the Marvelite phenomenon was a fraud. The one who adamantly held on to his stance.

"I can't believe this," said the young rabbit girl, feeling foolish. It was all in front of her, in plain sight, and only now did she pick up on this.

"Neither can I, but I'm telling you the truth," Darwin said, crossing his legs. "What do you suppose we should do?"

"Leave it to me." Anais hopped off of the chair and shuffled towards the bunk to sit beside her aquarian brother. "I'll see if I can get Gumball to talk. I think it's high time that he did."

As she took to the door and removed the hodgepodge of items that blockaded it, Darwin jumped straight for her along the bed and halted her mid-step.

"Wait, wait, wait," the fish child cried.

"What is it?"

"If you do that, he's going to catch on to us."

"Are you even listening to yourself?" Anais scoffed, putting her dainty paws on her waist. "This is Gumball we're talking about. He's not 'going to catch on'."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that. Gumball's a lot smarter now. I know you've seen it. Don't pretend that you haven't."

Again, Anais lowered her head at an angle, lost in her own musings. She supposed that she wasn't giving Gumball enough credit. No, scratch that. She wasn't giving him credit at all. She didn't think she'd hear a statement like that ever uttered, let alone by Darwin, ever the second banana, ever the shining example of a second fiddle. But he _was_ right.

Gumball had come so far, and it would take the biggest idiot in the world to not realize that. He'd come a long way from the rambunctious boy who at one point submerged the entire house. From the misguided kid who thought that going through a dangerous forest was the same as avoiding it outright. From the poor, unfortunate soul whose body could not cope with the limitless knowledge that the Internet had to offer.

Now he had grown past those mistakes, past those old childish ways of his. He was smarter—to be honest, that was still up for debate—wiser, more aware. He had changed to such a drastic extent that you might as well consider him a different person altogether. Sure he still had his flair for adventure, and he was still excitable, but it wasn't as strong or obvious as before. On top of that, he was now more inclined to see the good, the bad and the in-betweens of life, except he paid more attention to the bad and less to the good.

"I guess you're right," Anais muttered, somewhat ashamed for misjudging her brother. "Hmm. This could be a problem. It's going to be a little harder than we want it."

For better or worse, this wasn't the same Gumball Watterson as back then. Whether anyone liked it or not, this was who he was and possibly how he was going to be for a long time to come. In the future, whether near or distant.

* * *

 _ **Author's note:**  
_

 _Had a lot of fun writing this one, especially the showdown between the Wattersons and Ocho._


	8. It might not be so bad after all

_**The Beginning**_

 **by Christopher R. Martin**

Chapter 8 – It might not be so bad after all

* * *

The first day of the week was only just starting, and already it threw the first of its twists and turns.

In the hallways of Elmore Junior High, Gumball walked amidst a stampede of his fellow classmates. The trampling of Tina Rex did not seem to afflict him in any way. He did not flinch at the sound, nor did he shuffle out of her path. Not that he was blocking her off or could do such a thing.

Then again, he always had his Marvelite piece in tow, and just about anything could happen. He could never know.

Speaking of not being able to see anything coming, he made his way past the principal's office and overheard a conversation unfolding inside. His curiosity coming to life and screaming in hunger, Gumball froze in place and stepped back closer to the door. He leaned his ear against the wooden surface and sealed off his senses from the rest of the world.

"Are you sure you're alright, Lucy?" the first of two voices spoke. Principal Brown.

"For the fifth time, I told you I'm fine," the second voice responded, agitated yet disheartened. Miss Simian. "There is _nothing_ wrong with me. Why do you keep asking?"

"I don't see any harm in showing my darling how much I care about her."

Gumball pulled his head off of the door so that he could repress his reflexes. Particularly the one that forced him to throw up. But he couldn't help himself, especially not when it involved Brown and Simian's little intimacy. He swore that they spent their free time making stupid faces, uttering baby-ish nonsense, sucking face or even wor—

No, no, no. No!

Refusing to go that direction, Gumball shook his head clear of any such thoughts. There was no need for the psychological scars. Everyday life was rife with them as it were.

"Nigel, I'm flattered and all, and I'm grateful. Really, I am," Simian continued. "But in all honesty, I think this will be a good thing. Not just for me, but for the entire school. Oh, who am I kidding? I'd be doing Elmore justice."

"Okay, you've made your point," said Brown. "I guess what I meant to say is that it's rather—oh, how can I say it?—unbecoming of you to take a vacation leave, let alone for an entire month. I know you're entitled to it, and everyone could use some rest and relaxation, but my point still stands."

"Well, you know what they say. There's a first time for everything. Besides, after these past few days, I need to reevaluate my life anyway. I've thought this over long and hard."

"I know you have. This school just isn't going to be the same without you, Lucy."

"It may not be the same, but it doesn't mean it won't be in worse shape."

 _You wanna bet on that, sister?_ Gumball thought humorously, as a way to abate some of his guilt.

"So, can I? Oh, and while we're at it, let me just quickly write this note for the substitute teacher. 'Please notify the class about a one-week extension on their History assignment and about my'…"

Having heard enough, Gumball continued down his original path and entered his classroom, where his peers kept to themselves in their respective activities. This was one of _those_ mornings where the boys were delegated to one side and the girls to the other.

Rather than mingling with his own kind, however, the blue cat child settled himself at his seat. His mind was heavy, and his heart heavier.

He pondered on the conversation he had just heard between Simian and Brown, focusing hard on the topic at hand. An entire month of school without Miss Simian's overbearing presence constantly monitoring them. This would otherwise be a blessing in disguise for him and his classmates. A dream come true. A fantasy made reality. He should be happy, bouncing up and down, somersaulting—or at least failing to—cheering and exclaiming to the entire world.

But he wasn't. Instead of being glad, he was bothered. Instead of feeling joy, he felt regret. Instead of him thinking that he had done his class a great service, this was a giant slap in the face to the entire school. A personal, intimate punch in the gut to one Lucy Simian.

Some things in this world were simply out of one's control. The rising and setting of both the sun and the moon, the chances of winning the lottery, the face that a die lands on, they were determined by chance, not by choice. But making a mockery of an accomplished teacher, making her out for the heartless brute that she could be more than, it was all on him. It was his fault. His fault. There was a fine line between hilarious and hurtful, and he had skirted over that line and on to the latter.

A creaking noise coming from the door urged Gumball out of his stupor and the rest of the class back to their desks. Entering the classroom was not Lucy Simian, but the cubic mammoth of a gym coach and Jamie's mother. That reminded him: where _was_ Jamie today?

Squeezing herself into the classroom, the coach proceeded towards the middle. She attempted seating casually on the desk, only for the piece of furniture to snap into shards.

"Alright, class. Quiet down and take your seats," the coach ordered, wriggling her posterior. Removing a pencil that had stuck itself around that area.

 _We're already quiet and seated, just get on with it_ , thought Gumball.

Behind his back, someone was raising a hand to ask a question. It was Idaho.

"Scuse me, coach, but isn't Miss Simian here today?" asked the tiny spud in his dense southern accent.

"As a matter of fact, no she's not. And as a matter of fact, she left me this to tell you kids." The coach searched his person for the small sticky note Simian had supposedly given to her. Eventually pulling it out from seemingly nowhere, she held it in front of her face and cleared her throat. "She says that she's going to be away from school for one month. I don't know why exactly, but I heard her saying something about going on a getaway to the Bahamas while she was walking down the hallway."

Once the announcement had gone out, the entire classroom erupted into a cavalcade of cheering and hollering. The boys and girls were coming together in their merriment, including Penny and Darwin. Joe even did his usual schtick of stripping himself of his banana peel and swinging it wildly in the air as if it were a whip of some sorts.

Gumball remained in his seat and buried his face in his arms, encumbered by his own thoughts. By the guilt that swelled in him. He paid no mind to the coach's orders, which his mind registered as garbled gibberish. She was most likely ordering his classmates to settle down and return to their seats.

He then felt water sprinkling on to his face. It went on and on until he forced himself up and exchanged looks with the coach. Disgust quickly took hold as he realized it was saliva, not water, that he was being sprayed with. The coach's whistling attempts may have failed—again—but she still had his attention.

"Thank you for returning to the land of the living, Gumball," the coach bantered aridly, moving back to the front of the classroom.

"No problem at all," Gumball muttered through clenched teeth, repulsed, scrubbing the spit off with his sleeve.

"Now then, where was I? Oh, right. Miss Simian also wanted me to tell you that you've all been given an extention on your History assignment. The deadline is now Friday of next week instead of this week."

The statement was met with another round of applause. This ovation wasn't as uproarious as the one prior, not as ear-crushingly loud, but still loud enough that it filled the entire room.

"Don't get ahead of yourself," said the coach, grabbing a clipboard and pen from the remains of the desk. "Just because Miss Simian isn't here doesn't mean you have an excuse to slack off. Until she comes back, I'm going to be keeping my eyes on you."

Even her warning did not abate the cheering of the entire class. Nothing could ever hold a candle to the things that Simian had ever done.

The Marvelite shard glowed in Gumball's pants, alerting him.

" _Something on your mind?_ " Remy asked, his tone indicating his concern.

" _We might have gone a little overboard, Remy_ ," Gumball thought, his guilt tearing away like rust on metal.

Remy was just about to whip out another one of his wisecracks, but stopped himself before he could. _"I guess you're right,"_ he admitted shamefully.

Little did he know that Darwin had cut his cheering short to inspect him. To watch the private conversation and confirm his growing suspicions on him.

* * *

"Hey, Jamie. I was just looking for you." Gumball waved his hand in the air as he crossed the hallway and bade the troglodyte girl warmly.

"Watterson! What do you want?" Jamie gasped and turned the other way.

As she sprinted off to the opposite direction, Gumball sighted the cast on her right arm and the sling that kept her limb aloft. There was enough time to feel guilty, but now he needed to make his wrongs right.

"Jamie, wait a minute!" he shouted, giving chase to the injured bully.

Not wanting to give the blue cat the time of day, Jamie tucked her head inside her person and strained her eyes closed. She ran as quick as her feet allowed, which thankfully weren't broken, relying on her intuition to lead her away.

Her thoughts swirled in her mind as she traversed the hallways and down the flight of stairs. As if the rest of her life wasn't miserable and pathetic enough. Between being held back one grade, having her own mother work at her school and finding solace in only one person who may or may not leave her side whenever it'd be convenient for her.

Now she had Watterson on her tail. Watterson, who through a stroke of luck had made _her_ look like the fool and not the other way around. Gumball Watterson, who played her in her own game. _That_ had to be the lowest blow of them all. Not her academic shortcomings or her mother's intrusion in her life.

Why wouldn't he leave her alone? Was that really too much to ask for? Didn't he have better things to do?

Jamie asked herself these two questions over and over and over again. She glanced over her shoulder on occasion. He was still there. Still trailing her. He didn't know when to quit. She had to give him credit for that.

She dwelt on each of these thoughts until her path had led her to a janitor's closet next to the boiler room. She leapt inside and used a mop as a makeshift barricade. For a moment there, she was able to breathe easy, close her eyes and relax her entire body.

But her respite did not last for more than a minute. On the other side of the door, Gumball knocked and called out to her.

"Jamie, I know you're in there," said Gumball in a sing-song voice.

"No one's here!" Jamie cried. Not quite what she should have said, but if it could get him to leave, then she had no reason to complain.

Refusing to give up on his apology, Gumball leaned on the adjacent wall and let out a sigh.

"Fine. Have it your way," said the blue cat. "I just want to tell you that…"

Strange. The words weren't coming out. This was harder than he expected. As though he needed to swallow something first. Something like a pill. A pill that tasted strong and was rough on the throat. Or his pride.

A second of hesitation later, he pulled away from the wall and stared at the closet door. "I want to tell you…that I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fracture your arm, and I didn't mean to make you spill your lunch all over you."

Jamie had her hands over her ears, but gently removed them as two specific words embedded themselves into her brain. Those two words were 'I'm' and 'sorry'.

Outside, Gumball continued his apology. "If I'd watched where I was going, then we wouldn't be here right now. None of this would have happened. You don't have to forgive me if you don't want to. That's perfectly fine with me. I just wanted to let you know."

Swayed by his words, Jamie leaned her ear against the door.

"And if it's going to make you feel better, then I'll let you go to town on me. You can punch me, kick me, bite me as much as you please. I'm not going to run away."

The school bell blared just as Gumball was finishing.

"Anyway, I'm heading back to class now, and you probably should too. Catch you later."

Footsteps rung outside once the bell had quieted down. With Gumball having finally left, Jamie leaned on the door and sighed. There weren't any tears arising in her eyes, but if there were, she wouldn't prevent them from falling down her face. From streaming along her cheeks and onto the ground.

Soon enough, her eyes had become misty, and she sniffled now and then. Contrary to what Gumball had told her just now, she was glad that he had bumped into her. That he had spilled her lunch all over her, and that he had—by no fault of his own—broken her arm. Otherwise, she would not know that there were other people out there besides her mother, her father and Tina who cared about her. That between everything that was wrong with her life, there was a light at the end of the tunnel.

The first time Gumball and his 'mutant pet' had tried reaching out to her, she thought it was just a front. She convinced herself that she had no need for them at all. But this attempt was more sincere, more genuine.

And contrary to another claim that Gumball made, she didn't have her usual persistent urge to hurt someone. Not right now. Probably not for a while.

Of course, no one would ever know that. No one would find out about any of this. No one would see how much of an effect Gumball has had on her. Not her fellow classmates, not the faculty and staff, none of them. They didn't need to know. She had to be tough, to show some presence, for her sake.

To her chagrin, there was a knocking on the closet door again. Releasing a frustrated groan, she rose from the floor, cast the mop to the side and swung the door open.

"What do you want now, Watterson? Can't you see that I—" she shouted, expecting to find a cowering, sweat-drenched Gumball on the floor. Her glower softened.

It wasn't him. It was the other Watterson kid. The quote-unquote 'mutant pet' of their already zany family.

"Sorry to bother you," said Darwin as he rebounded from the outburst. "I'll be on my way now."

Frustrated at herself, Jamie groaned and rubbed her temples.

"No, wait," the troglodyte attempted, taking two steps out of the closet. "I should be the one apologizing."

Darwin faced her with an eyebrow raised. Apologies were uncommon with her.

"Huh?"

"You're obviously here to do something. What is it?"

"Ah." Darwin scratched the back of his head and gave out several discomforted chuckles. He quickly regained control of his nerves and spoke. "I thought I'd let you know that class is starting. I saw you running down the halls and caught up with you here."

"Oh, okay." Jamie's eyes were towards the floor. She ignored the fact that she had been followed the whole time and focused on a more surprising fact.

That was two times in a row now. Two times in—what was it, five minutes?—that someone has shown her any sort of care or attention. That someone has seen her as more than just a brute, more than some petty hoodlum. An odd sensation swelled in her chest. It was foreign. She hardly if ever felt it. It was soft. Warm. Calming. It resonated with her. It urged her to let her defenses down, if only for this moment.

Heeding these prompts, she brought her entire self out of the closet and drew close to Darwin. She didn't know what to make of it, how to follow through on this sensation. But she would never know unless she gave it a chance.

Darwin had shifted his face away from hers and braced himself for a punch, but eased himself when he found that it did not come.

"Care to go for a walk?" asked Jamie, her voice humbled.

Remembering his etiquette, Darwin stepped to the side and gestured with his fins. "Lead the way," he said, grinning warily. He immediately affirmed his smile as they began the walk back to the classroom.

On the way, Jamie found herself getting more and more accustomed to the idea walking alongside some other student _not_ named Tina Rex for a change. Even with how odd it seemed at first glance, she grew to like it. And before long, she had settled enough to have a conversation with Darwin.

She first thanked him for going out of his way to personal find her and remind her about their class, but her pride made it somewhat harder than necessary. That was yet another streak she was keeping track of – words, phrases and sentences that wouldn't usually come from her mouth. First 'sorry', now 'thank you'. What was next? 'I love you'?

The more she spoke to him, the more comfortable she had gotten. She then told him what had happened several minutes ago. Why she was running down the halls and into the janitor's closet. She illustrated to Darwin how his brother went out of _his_ way to apologize to her for breaking her arm. How he said to her that she was free to beat him up as she pleased should they come across each other again. She told him all of this with no shame of any kind, making sure that she hadn't skimmed on any details.

Darwin took every sentence, every last word, every little syllable to mind and to heart, and was swayed by them. Gumball sitting down with a school bully was nothing new; he and Tina Rex have sat down and talked it out on a number of occasions, settling whatever dilemmas they may—or may not—have had.

If what Jamie had said just now, about Gumball being the bigger man and burying the hatchet between him and her, really was true, then it really goes to show what he had brought up to Anais the other day: Gumball was not the naïve, bumbling, oblivious boy he once was. And this change has done him and a lot of other people more good than anyone realizes. Perhaps it has done more good than bad.

"He actually did that?" asked Darwin to be sure.

"Yup. In a way, I'm kind of glad for that," said Jamie, a hint of a smile showing on her countenance.

After crossing the hallways and stairwells of the school, Darwin and Jamie were nearing the end of their walk. The classroom was within their line of sight, but before opening the door, Jamie faced Darwin to ask him one last thing. One small favor.

But she wasn't requesting so much as she was commanding, forcing. Coercing. She crinkled her face into a glower and moved close to the orange fish boy.

"Let's make one thing perfectly clear here, Watterson," Jamie uttered lowly, her eyes daggers into Darwin's soul. "No one finds out about _any_ of this?"

Darwin brought his right fin across his mouth in an imitation of closing a zipper and raised the same fin in the air. "You got it. My lips are sealed," he stated.

However, there was a lot more to the request—demand, command—than what he assumed.

"No, no, no," said Jamie, shaking her head furiously. "I mean _none_ of this goes out to _anyone_. Absolutely nothing, absolutely no one. If I find out that so much as a peep about this comes out of those fish lips of yours"—she leaned her forehead against his and narrowed her stare—"then I'm making you a permanent resident of Uppercut Village. Do we have an understanding?"

Typically, Darwin would be shaking in his shoes when such a threat was made. But this time, he did not. He took the words to heart, but was unmoving as a boulder and completely calm. Jamie's threat was met with a smile and a nod.

Darwin made another zipping motion, except this time his mouth really _was_ sealed, with an actual zipper over it. With the same fin, he gave Jamie a salute.

"Aye aye, ma'am. Loud and clear," cried Darwin in an exaggerated fashion. His holler would be easy to take seriously if it weren't muffled behind his zipped-up mouth.

Jamie had to fight the urge to chuckle, but it was a losing struggle. She dropped her glower for a snicker and a grin. He had understood her, but did he have to salute?

In any case, she opened the door and set her foot inside the classroom, but not without telling fish boy, "Thanks."

Darwin entered the door too and proceeded to his desk. Gumball was there at his seat, conversing with Penny. His pocket wasn't glowing right now, so the orange fish boy kept to himself.

If his suspicions were correct and he was _not_ going crazy, then these turn of events so far have affected Gumball a lot better than he thought. He _did_ say that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And that was exactly what these past few days were.

* * *

" _That seriously happened? You actually_ farted _him out?"_

" _No lie. That's how it happened."_

" _Ugh! That's disgusting!" Remy declared with a laugh, flicking a marshmallow into his mouth. "If only I were there to see it."_

" _It_ was _priceless."_

" _As a matter of fact, I want to take a look at it for myse—"_

" _No!" Gumball cried and grabbed Remy's arm as he was about to summon another realm-jumping gale. "I think you're digging into my head enough as it is."_

 _Vexed, Remy pouted and resumed with his bag of candy. "Killjoy," he remarked, chewing on a second marshmallow._

 _Shaking his head, Gumball yielded and returned the remark with, "Some other time, 'kay?" He too continued stuffing his face with sweets._

 _As per their agreement, Gumball had shared another one of his adventures to Remy. The story for tonight's dream was one that stood out in his head moreso than any other. Personally, it was one of his favorites._

 _He had told him about the one time he discovered his 'real name' – Zach. At the time, it seemed like literally the coolest thing on the planet. It was much less embarrassing than 'Gumball', and upon finding out the name, he wore it with pride. A badge pinned on his shirt._

 _With this new name, his life had started to look up and take a turn for the better. He had never been more confident, more determined and more capable. Just hearing other people refer to him by an actual name was a music note sung by the most graceful voice ever. The more he heard it, the longer he wore the name, the greater his pride in himself became._

 _And therein lies the problem. He had grown far too proud, too full of himself, for his own good. His ego had inflated until it was the size of an entire continent. That pride and ego then manifested itself into a sentient being with a will of its own. This new entity was determined in making itself the only one that mattered. The one true Gumball in existence._

 _In order to accomplish this, this other Gumball—this_ Zach _—sought out to erase every last trace of the original. Making alterations to his memories that fitted its image, that was according to its vision. Every failure, he had transformed into a success. Every loss, he had altered into a victory. Every mistake, every misstep, wiped clean from the slate._

 _To his own dismay, Zach's continent-sized ego was ultimately his greatest undoing. For how confident and how full of himself he was, failure was never an option for him. It wasn't even part of his vocabulary. He wanted excellence, perfection, and anything less would not do for him. But for every little word the people of Elmore had used to describe Gumball—lazy, bumbling, stupid, incompetent, and everything else in-between—he was not afraid to stumble every now and then. Mistakes, failures, shortcomings, they were just an essential part of life, after all._

 _Zach could not comprehend that—_ would not _comprehend that. He refused to. And while Gumball always found himself back on his feet after getting knocked down, the same could not be said for Zach._

" _Do you have any regrets?" asked Remy, finishing his treats and discarding his bag for the breeze to carry._

" _Sometimes," Gumball replied with a shade of wistfulness in his voice. Zach_ had _a nice ring to it in the first minute or so._

 _Helping his cat friend to his feet, Remy cracked a smile to soothe him. "If it helps, I think it was cool what you did. I can imagine how much you had to give up."_

 _Gumball had no answer to that; in hindsight, he_ had _given up a lot. But if anything, it was a good thing that Zach stayed down. For Gumbal, he much rather preferred to be remembered for the lazy and inept goof that he was instead of the absolutely perfect guy that he was not._

" _Besides, you're more of a 'Gumball' than anything. I'll take it over 'Zach' any day of the week," Remy added._

" _You're just saying that." Gumball gave Remy a jab on his right arm and moved away from the cliff._

 _Remy, struggling to find the proper words, eventually answered with, "Okay, maybe I am. And even so, it takes a lot of guts to have a name like that."_

 _Lowering his head at an angle, Gumball chuckled and shuffled towards the mountain. A little credit to himself wouldn't hurt anyone, and Remy_ did _have a point._

" _Anyway, where are we off to now?" the feline asked, putting his paws on his waist._

" _You already know the answer to that. Now hold tight," Remy stated, rubbing his hands together._

 _In no less than ten seconds, a gale whipped up above and around the two boys. The current of wind carried them above ground and out of 'Old Elmore'._

 _As they were being taken from one realm to the next, everything around them began to vibrate. Bursts of static fizzled at an irregular interval, causing Remy to stain his face and break a sweat. The turbulence threw him off his focus and took away his momentum._

" _What the heck is going on?" shouted a weary Gumball, looking left and right. Trying to make sense of this static._

" _I'm not sure…" said Remy, groaning from keeping him and his friend aloft. Compared to Gumball, he was calm for most of the predicament. "Whatever it is, it's nothing to be afraid of, but it_ is _getting in the way."_

" _What are we supposed to do?"_

 _Remy looked over his shoulder. "Try opening your eyes."_

" _They_ are _open!" Gumball called out in the screaming wind, in the midst of the static._

" _I mean wake up!" Remy yelled back, mustering enough energy to conjure up a gaping spatial tear of white underneath him. "It's not some_ thing _that's interfering, it's some_ one _. I think someone's trying to get their hands on the stone on the other side. See if you can get him off your back."_

 _The last word brought forth a gasp from Gumball. He started asking different questions, every last one of them of equal importance. A person was behind this? Who could be awake at this late an hour? Was it a burglar or a kidnapper some other kind of criminal_

 _And more importantly, how did it know about the Marvelite in his possession? Was it what this man or woman was really after?_

" _Wakey wakey, Gumball!" shouted Remy._

 _Gumball heeded the prompt and dived out of the gale and into the white void._

In his room, he pried his eyes open. As he rose up, two separate voices screamed simultaneously inside the room. The first was his, obviously. The other did not belong to a burglar. It was too high-pitched and feminine.

Gumball saw who the voice belonged to and was nonetheless stunned as to who this person was. His bewilderment did not stem from fear, but from betrayal…

"Anais?" the cat asked, moving his legs over the edge of his bunk. Staring at his younger sister who he had accidentally thrown off of him.

Recovering from her fall, Anais exchanged looks with her brother. Whereas his stare was one of sheer disappointment, hers was one of fright. All that time spent planning her little gambit, and she had no justification to get herself out scot-free.


	9. The truth shall set you free

_**The Beginning**_

 **by Christopher R. Martin  
**

Chapter 9 – The truth shall set you free

* * *

'The cornered rat shall bite back at the cat'. In dire times, even the most cowardly shall muster the courage to see him through to safety.

Anais was not so lucky. She found herself in such a position. There was no place for her to run or hide.

Glaring down on his little sister, Gumball rose from his bed and folded his arms. His eyes drilled into her head and sunk into her consciousness.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked silently, poisonously. Being robbed, having his personal space violated by a complete stranger was one thing, but it was another for his own family to do this to him.

Eyes wide as dinner plates and mouth ajar in fright, Anais quaked where she stood. She twiddled her tiny paws as her mind came up blank with any sort of justification. This was what her brothers went through when she had put them on the spot, and she was witnessing it for herself first-hand. Shame and guilt tore away at her, nibbling at every fiber of her being.

Each try to say a word had turned into an uncontrollable stammer.

Gumball tapped his toes on the floor and narrowed his eyes even more. "I'm waiting," he declared, starting a countdown in his head.

 _Five._

 _Four._

 _Three._

 _Two._

 _One…_

The last of his patience having worn thin, he made his way to the door. "That's it, I'm telling Mom and Dad."

That one sentence was enough to coax Anais out of her stammering haze, and she lunged at the door held it back, preventing her brother from leaving.

"Wait, Gumball," the pink rabbit cried, her tiny heart racing. "I can explain."

"I'm all ears."

Anais opened her mouth, but all that exited out of it was air. This was harder than she had expected. How did her two brothers ever get good at this routine?

Without anything to say, she only had one other option. She held her paw out and asked, "Please give it to me. I have to see it."

"What are you—oh, right," Gumball replied, knowing what she was referring to. He fished out his Marvelite shard and gently set it on the flat of his sister's paw.

Anais brought the stone close to her face, inspecting it with one eye and closing the other shut. This was strange. Darwin told her that it was always shining, giving off a light as bright and with as many colors as a rainbow. That he saw it with his own two eyes. He said that it was the cause of everything that has happened recently.

Her head spun. Did it glow or not, did it ever do anything or not, whether or not this was just a wild goose chase, she didn't know what to believe.

"Isn't something supposed to be happening?" asked Anais, still convinced of the stories she had heard. Not willing to give up that easily.

"There should be," said Gumball, taking the stone back. "But first thing's first: when have you known about this?"

"I didn't." Anais shook her head, her answer met with another one of Gumball's icy, narrow-eyed gazes. "I'm telling you the truth, Gumball! Would I ever steer you wrong?"

"That's what it looks like to me." Gumball made no bones about making that response, uttering it with precision, with sharpness.

To be honest, Anais was surprised when she had heard that. She was expecting a different answer out of him.

Apart from her newest offense this evening, she had plenty more underneath her belt. From duping the whole family into bickering over a television remote to guilt-tripping their mother to take her to a Daisy the Donkey concert to changing the password to the computer in their room and throwing both himself and Darwin into an argument as to who was the favorite child, she was clearly no saint by the loosest definition of the word.

In fact, the more she thought about it, she was just as bad as him and Darwin put together. In some instances, she was even worse. She was in no position to judge either of them. She had no right to put herself on a pedestal and make herself feel better at the expense of her brothers.

Anais sighed as these facts dawned in the back of her head. The guilt was consuming her at a faster rate than before.

"Okay. Fine," she said, raising her paws at her brother, as if defeated. "You got me, Gumball. You're absolutely right. You have a point. Who am I to call you out when I'm not any better myself? Can you forgive me, big brother?"

Gumball unfolded his arms, his features lightening. He smiled lightly and chuckled to himself. "So long as we're straight on that."

Anais chuckled in return and gave her brother a light jab on his stomach. "You are such a huge jerk, sometimes," she teased, punching him a few more times, getting him to laugh a little louder. "But you're _our_ huge jerk. Now, shall we see what this rock of yours can do?"

With that, Gumball twitched his head in agreement and held the Marvelite out in front of them. In his head, he began to speak. To reach out to his friend inside the stone.

" _Dude, I know you can hear me. Come out, I want to introduce you to someone."_

As the thought was uttered in him, a cluster of colors danced and beamed from the stone's very center. Shimmering, glittering noises rang, bouncing in between the four walls. In the midst of this luminous display, Remy made his descent into Gumball's mind.

" _Let her touch me,"_ the human boy ordered. _"If she wants to see it with her own two eyes, tell her to touch the stone."_

" _You got it_. Sis, give me your hand," Gumball ordered, his sister doing as she was asked and giving him her right paw.

"Gumball, I don't see how this is—"

"Just trust me."

The Watterson siblings clenched the stone tightly, and inside of their hands, the glow was expanding and swallowed the both of them.

 _Her eyes drifted open as she brought her arm down and away from them. The sudden, harsh, gleaming sunlight was the first to greet them. She turned her gaze downwards and were struck with awe from witnessing the myriad of buildings and people around her. A realization dawned in her mind as she pieced together what this place truly was._

 _Over to her right, he waited for her with folded arms and a smug smirk on his face._

" _Are you just going to stand there or what?" Gumball exclaimed, cupping his paws over his mouth._

 _Anais took her brother's words to heart and scurried over to where he stood. The blue feline spread his arms out wide to present to his younger sister everything that was before her eyes. To embellish this very town._

" _I can't believe it," said Anais, each new sight a wonder in and of itself. "This is… Is it really…"_

" _That's correct," told Gumball plainly. "Welcome to Elmore, Anais."_

" _This is unbelievable." Anais walked around, here and there, and took in her surroundings. Hastily scribbling down every last detail into her mind. "And here I thought I knew everything."_

 _She continued her observation, moving from one spot to another. From building to building, from one landmark to the next. But the townspeople paid her no mind. Or rather, they could not pay her any mind. They were there in plain sight, for the naked eye, every word they spoke ringing in her ear loud and clear._

 _But she was not. To them, she was as visible as the air that they breathed, her salutations passing through them just as their bodies passed through her. The buildings were also intangible, as she soon learned when she had attempted to open a door knob leading to a bank. The only thing that was solid in this place was the ground beneath their feet._

 _Gumball took to his feet and caught up with his younger sister, describing to her how this place worked. This place, from its people to its architecture, they were the memories of the person who had breathed life into them. They were one person's deepest, innermost thoughts, feelings and experiences made manifest._

 _Anais did not bother rationalizing these rules and simply accepted them. This wasn't the normal, everyday world anymore. Normal by Elmore's standards, that is._

" _So whose memories_ are _these, then?" asked the little rabbit girl, shuffling her petite frame across the dirt-laden ground._

 _A spatial tear opened before the Watterson children at the precise time the question had finished. Out of the rip stepped a young human boy that Gumball recognized all too well, wearing his buttoned shirt, shorts, Mary Janes and his perpetually-rosy cheeks._

" _They would be mine," told the boy, sealing the tear back with a zipper. He made his way towards the cat and rabbit pair, extending his right hand out to the latter. "Remy. Nice to meet you, Anais."_

 _A disconcerted Anais reluctantly acquiesced in the handshake offer. "Yeah, the pleasure's all mine," she stated wearily, putting her defenses right back up. "How do you know my name?"_

" _Oh, your brother over here has mentioned you and your family to me plenty of times. That, and I may have also kept an eye and ear out on you." The second he made that last remark, Anais yanked her paw out of his hold. "Wait, wait, what I tried to say is that you were there at the museum. That's how I know about you, somewhat."_

" _Okay, then? I guess that makes me feel a little bit better."_

" _Really?"_

" _No, not really. It doesn't."_

 _She had to wonder if he knew the other students at her school as well. He must at least be acquainted with them at this point, given the fact that he had been watching them during the field trip. Given the fact that her brother had a piece of the Marvelite in his pocket, and that he could be spying even from there._

" _This is really what Elmore used to be, huh?" said Anais, looking left and right, listening to the ongoing hustle and bustle of the town. Witnessing the many residents who are constantly on the move go about their own business and taking the time to bid their fellow man and woman hello, or 'how do you do'. "It's definitely not like the Elmore that we know, that's for sure."_

" _Want me to show you around?" said Remy eagerly._

" _I don't see why not. Take it away."_

 _Remy did not waste any time in getting the tour underway, taking the two Watterson siblings to every nook and cranny of what he and Gumball referred to as the 'Old Elmore'. Showing all of the towns intricacies, describing the landmarks and buildings that they passed by. The tour was more or less identical to the one he had given to Gumball, so much so that the blue cat was mothing every diatribe to himself, word for word._

 _Only one thing was different, and it was the last stop. A place that Gumball had yet to see. Nor did he care all that much, considering that his whole family had seen the place before._

 _Elmore Town Hall, a building made purely of stone. A hulking monument to the town's essence and spirit. Four pillars towered across its front entrance, with two on either side, and leading up to the entrance was a long and wide flight of stairs that could fit more than a hundred people at a time. The entrance itself was comprised of a pair of great wooden doors a quarter of the height of one of the pillars._

 _The people that walked in and out of this building were almost always well-attired, the men dressed in suits composed of slacks, a buttoned shirt, a blazer and a necktie, and the women in business dresses with their knee-high skirts._

" _Take my advice: stay away from politics as long as you can," Remy joked._

" _I'll keep that in mind," Anais responded._

 _The tour nearing its conclusion, Remy guided the Watterson children back to the heart of the town. "That about does it for tonight." He stopped in the middle of the dirt road, barely avoiding getting trampled by a horse and a stagecoach._

" _Are you going to show us around some more?" Anais asked, her fascination in the days of yore greater than before._

" _Some other time," said Remy in a yawn, covering his mouth with his right hand. "For now, you'll want to get some shut eye." With a snap of his finger, a blinding white gateway opened behind his back._

 _Upon hearing him say that, Anais' eyes were heavy like lead—as were Gumball's—bottom eyelids sagging and forming shadows underneath. She yawned and stretched her arms into the sky._

" _I could definitely use some sleep," Gumball remarked, rubbing his now-reddened eyes. Walking towards the opening._

 _Anais followed suit, her steps as hefty as her eyes. "Me too."_

" _Oh, and one more thing," said Remy to Anais. "Promise me you won't bring this up to anyone."_

" _Why not?"_

" _It's personal. I can't really say. Just swear to me that what happened between us tonight stays strictly between us. Understand?"_

" _Okay…" said Anais tentatively, quirking her eyebrow._

" _You too, Gumball. Swear it to me." Remy pointed his index finger at the blue cat._

" _Alright." Gumball shrugged, unquestioningly taking his words to consideration. "But y'know, people are going to find out eventually. I'm just saying, you can't keep this all to yourself."_

 _Remy responded with nothing except silence. He didn't need to be reminded. One of these days, the truth_ shall _come out for Elmore, for people the world over, to know. The mysteries that shroud Marvelite will be mysteries no more._

 _That was what he_ didn't _want to happen. And he was going to try his darndest that it would not happen at all._

" _I know," the human child said, a ghost of solemnity creeping in his voice._

 _To Gumball and Anais, they interpreted it as simply an agreement, an acknowledgment. It was for the better that it remained that way, Remy thought._

" _Well, you better get going."_

 _Gumball entered the gateway first, with his sister following behind him by a second or two—or three._

In their room, they shot their eyes open and gasped in unison. Anais rubbed her head thoroughly while Gumball hopped right back into his bed.

Sleeping had become harder for him. Not just because of how late it was, but also because of the words that he kept pondering on. The words that he had put on repeat, in an endless loop.

Since their initial meeting the other week, Gumball and Remy have come to know one another on more than just a superficial level. They knew each other well by now, from the back of their hands.

They couldn't fool the other if they tried. Remy couldn't hide his dismay from him if he tried.

His dismay over this reality becoming common knowledge in the near future…

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**  
_

 _Just some filler this time around._

 _And for the love of God, can we get more substantial reviews this time around instead of just 'Nice' or 'good job'?_

 _I hate to be a prick, and some of you are saying really good stuff, but honestly, we can do better._


	10. You're getting ahead of yourself

_**The Beginning**_

 **by Christopher R. Martin**

Chapter 10 – You're getting a little ahead of yourself

* * *

"Gumball, this is delicious. I don't think I've ever had soufflé like this before. Who would've thought that you had a knack for cooking?"

"I know I didn't."

Gumball and Penny giggled in unison at the blue cat's comment.

As far as his cooking went, he'd say that it was a trait he had picked up from his mother, considering how often he'd help with the grocery shopping and watch her prepare their dinner meals in most nights. Ironically, the only other person who praised him for his culinary skill was Miss Simian, who had graded him a B in his home ec class for his 'divine' soufflé. As good as the dish was, the slight overabundance of butter and sugar kept him from getting a higher grade.

Judging by how much Penny was enjoying the dish, scarfing it down somewhat rapidly, he was confident that he has improved since then.

Desserts and sweets were his specialty, but he always loved to explore new areas and try his hand at different recipes. The one time he prepared an exceptionally spicy curry for Darwin stuck out the most in his mind. The image of him desperately searching for a drink to cool himself off with never failed to elicit a chuckle out of him, although he couldn't help but feel somewhat guilty for making his little brother suffer.

Gumball had dwelt on these thoughts long enough and resumed with his own soufflé, feeding himself generous serves of the dish. Nothing could spoil this evening even if it tried.

But just to be on the safe side, he searched the dining area and the living room for both Darwin and Anais, and, to his relief, saw neither of them. They were upstairs carrying on with their own business, while his mother and father had gone out to catch a movie, probably having a little romantic evening of their own.

"Y'know, it might not be such a bad idea to get a job as a chef," Penny complimented, shoving one more scoop of her soufflé down her gullet. "You could make a living out of this. Write your own cookbook, start your own cooking show, you never know."

"Hmm," Gumball muttered, touching his chin and pondering the possibilities Penny had brought up and a few more. "It _does_ sound appealing, and I _could_ give it a shot, but you're probably getting a little ahead of yourself there, Penny."

"What makes you say that?"

"I want to give a lot of things in the world a try. Broaden my horizons and whatnot." Gumball fed himself three more times before gulping down his glass of water.

Penny, on the other hand, had already cleared out her bowl and set it on the dining table. The shapeshifter girl swigged her entire glass before plainly saying, "I know what you mean," and dabbing her cheeks and her mouth with her napkin.

Gumball was only now reaching the end of his dish, the final serve sliding down into his stomach, the spoon slipping out of his lips. Sighing in contentment, he emptied his glass of water next and slouched on his chair.

"Thanks again for inviting me over for dinner, Gumball," said Penny, admiring the effort her significant other had put into making this night wonderful. On top of everything else involving the two of them he had put effort into.

Her classmates often brought up how lucky she was to have a boyfriend like Gumball; even Masami, who was less than fond of him to begin with, said that she'd give anything to have someone like him. Someone who could make her feel special, even in times where she felt anything but.

"Well, you know me," said Gumball with a hint of confidence, bordering on arrogance, in his voice.

Gumball's family and closest friends have also shown their utmost support for him. For the bond that he and Penny share. And likewise, even the unlikeliest of people out there gave him their blessing. People like Tobias and Banana Joe, what with their motto of 'pals before gals'. People like Penny's father Patrick, who at first was unapproving on account of his alleged 'quirkiness', whom he had proven his worth to.

Nowadays, he had no qualms about bringing his little girl over to the Watterson house. As a matter of fact, he was actually more than happy to bring Gumball and Penny together, even giving the blue feline a smile to encourage him.

Excusing himself from the table, Gumball rose up from his chair and took his and Penny's spoons and plates to the kitchen. Penny joined him by his side at the kitchen sink, where a jet of water poured from the tap and doused the used cutlery.

"Let me help you with that," she offered, grabbing a sponge from the compartment behind the tap.

"Now, now, Penny. You're a guest here. Just leave it to me," Gumball answered, taking the sponge off of the shapeshifter's hands and scrubbing his bowl then his spoon with it.

"Really, it's no big deal. I'm more than happy to help out." It was the least Penny could do after being treated to a fabulous desert.

Seeing no point in arguing with her, Gumball simply answered her with, "If you insist," and continued with his cleaning. He left his spoon and bowl to dry on the rack and passed the sponge to her, cleaning up his side of the sink and rinsing the suds off of his paws.

The two met hands underneath the unending stream of water, prompting them to glance at each other.

"We're like a married couple," Gumball joked, retracting his hand and giggling.

"Married, huh?" Penny replied, emphasizing the word. Snickering at his remark. "Who's getting ahead of himself now?"

The pair chuckled in unison, their laughter spreading across the kitchen and out to the living room. Their contact had sparked a whole slew of thoughts that flooded both their heads. Thoughts that were somewhat frightening, yet pleasant to look at.

She said nothing of it to him, but Penny took Gumball's 'married couple' quip to heart. She had just seen herself farther down the road. Older, taller, her features more…'filled out', for lack of a better word. Above all, she envisioned her and Gumball spending their lives together, living in a home with a family that they could call their own. The picture could not be any more perfect.

There was no doubt in her mind that these thoughts occurred to Gumball, too. He _did_ put together a 'wedding ceremony' at the school corridor. Granted, he was under the delusion that the world was coming to an end, and any so-called 'ceremony' with Banana Joe as the acting authority figure simply could not be taken half seriously. But all things considered, he wouldn't have gone through with it if his feelings were any different. If she didn't matter as much to him.

"Like I said before, let's give it a couple more years before trying again," said Penny, planting a peck upon the cat's right cheek. Realizing a second later that her hands were still soaked in suds, leaving behind her mark upon the same cheek she had kissed. "Oops. Sorry. Let me get that for you."

Hastily she yanked a sheet of tissue from a holster in front of her and proceeded to wipe her hands clean, but as she was about to do the same for Gumball's face, felt a soft wet mark by the bridge of her nose. She crossed her eyes to find a small, sudsy smear on that one spot and saw Gumball smiling cheekily and lifting a wet finger in the air.

"That makes us even," the blue cat remarked.

Cracking her own smile of mischief, Penny bathed her hands in the draining water and flicked them at Gumball, inciting him to do the same and for them to continue in a mild-mannered exchange. Their laughter now at its loudest, reaching the second floor and out every window and door, all across the neighborhood.

Twenty-five seconds their contest lasted, and Gumball and Penny dried themselves clean, wiping their faces and hands with sheet after sheet of tissue. They then made their way to the living room, where Penny had prepared her school supplies on the coffee table. Her notebook and textbook were opened to set pages, both of them containing math equations.

Over the course of half an hour, she guided him through her notes and the contents of her textbook. Math was without a question one of Gumball's weakest subjects; heck, it was just about _anyone's_ weakest subject. But while his strong suit was cooking and home ec, hers was numbers and formulas. From the multiplication table to using fractions to algebra.

Penny guided Gumball through the topics she had set out for the night, beginning with multiplying two-digit numbers, which wasn't that bad and Gumball had gotten the hang of, and ending with everyone's worst nightmare: the dreaded art of fractions. Gumball was picking up on these topics at a respectable rate, not exactly fast but not gruelingly sluggish, either. Yet there were still areas that confused him, _especially_ fractions. Lowest common denominator, least common multiple, cross multiplication, there were a lot for him to wrap his tiny fingers around. Staying awake throughout the lesson was hard, but he held himself together for her sake.

Around the time that the tutorial had come to an end, it was already a minute to seven o'clock. Just in time for the doorbell to ring and for Penny's dutiful father to appear at the front door.

"Time to go, sweetie," Patrick called out, leaning on the doorframe to look at his little girl.

"In a sec, Dad," replied Penny, packing away all of her belongings, from books to stationery. She slung the straps of her backpack across her shoulder and took to the door.

"Thanks for coming over, Penny," said Gumball, holding on to the doorknob.

"And thank _you_ for preparing that incredible soufflé. Maybe you'll show me more of your cooking skills next time?"

"Wait, did you say 'cooking skills'?" Patrick intruded in an incredulous tone. "As in, _you_ "—he pointed an index finger at Gumball—"actually cooked? As in, with a stove?"

"Yes." Gumball nodded swiftly to compliment his blunt answer.

"While your parents are out?"

"We can take care of ourselves just fine, sir. Besides, they trust us."

Patrick wandered his head left and right, impressed that the house was still standing and not reduced to ashes. "I guess it's trust well-placed," he said, causing a smile on Gumball's face. "Let's go, sweetie."

The Fitzgeralds made their way down the steps and across the front lawn, the children bidding each other their farewells. Gumball waving his paw even after they had left.

With their car driving off into the distance, Gumball closed the door shut behind him and pumped his fists, his pride swelling in him. Another successful night had come and gone, and with many more to come afterwards.

* * *

" _Did you have fun, Romeo?"_ Remy made his return as Gumball proceeded up the flight of stairs.

" _Oh, hush up,"_ Gumball thought bashfully. _"Yeah, I did. It was more than fun. It was awesome!"_

" _I kinda wanted to meet Penny. Get to know her a bit."_

" _One of these days, dude."_

" _So, where do you want to go tonight?"_

Gumball entered the room and collapsed on the bottom bunk. Whilst taking his pajamas from the closet and changing into them, he noticed that both of his siblings had left the room. They were probably in their parents' room, watching the TV there. _"Actually, I was thinking that tonight be uneventful. "_

" _How come?"_ Remy queried, the answer throwing him off.

" _Just for tonight. You don't need to know the specifics."_

" _Got a lot in your mind?"_

" _Sort of. I still need my personal space, y'know."_

Remy took his time to process the sentence. He crooked his mouth into a grin as the meaning became clear. This was Gumball and Penny's moment, and still was in a way. Gumball's thoughts were still fresh in his mind, and he wanted to savor them.

" _I see. Well, don't let me get in your way."_ The human boy gave off a shrug and a snicker, the light from the Marvelite starting to fade away. _"G'night, Gumball. Don't_ _let the bed bugs bite."_

"Goodnight to you too, buddy." The blue feline then drifted off, his eyes fluttering close. What followed was a rest devoid of any images or moving sequences, whether good or bad. No nightmares and no tranquil dreams here, either.

Meanwhile, the door to the room creaked open at a snail's pace. From out of the crack, Darwin peered inside and overheard the conversation.

Just as he suspected…

* * *

There was nothing quite like a good night's rest to balance out the craziness of the past week. As if Elmore wasn't already crazy and full of inexplicable wonders, some of which have yet to be unraveled. Considering that it had been a while since Gumball has had one, his dreamless sleep the other night was more than welcome.

At the cafeteria of Elmore Junior High, Gumball readied another pea on his spoon to be catapulted into the air and into his mouth. This time around, it didn't take him three hundred tries before successfully making a shot.

It only took him twenty. Most of his food either landed on the floor or stuck to the ceiling. His fellow students were already tripping on these scraps or had them land on their heads. A more noticeable example was Leslie, who had hit the ground rather hard that the fall made his flower pot crack, forcing him to scamper out of the room while preserving his modesty. Another was Anton, whose entire face was smeared in the stuff. Effectively making him more of a target for an even bigger flock of birds. Whatever his plan was for the rest of the day, he had better make sure that he stayed in doors most of the time. No, make that _all_ the time.

Emerging through the swinging doors was Rocky Robinson hauling a mop bucket by its handle. By some stroke of dumb luck, he barely avoided the avalanche of peas, mashed potatoes and sloppy joe, sidestepping out of the way at the last possible second. His streak met a quick end when one serve of mashed potatoes landed on his head, oozing down to the corner of his eye.

He narrowed his eyes, seriously pondering about where his life was going so far. All these jobs should be paying him better, if not by a whole lot. Despite his normally easy-going demeanor, he had his limits like every other person. And those limits were exceeded when he saw Gumball getting ready to fling another spoonful of his lunch to catch and swallow down his throat.

"Dude," Rocky began, prodding the cat with the tip of his mop.

Gumball launched his food up high and gaped his mouth wide open, but it did not catch anything. A crystal-clear _splat_ rung in his ear, and he looked behind him to find that he had more than missed his mark.

"Ooh," the blue cat cried, cringing at his failed trick. "I am _so_ sorry, Rocky. Here, let me get that for you." Grabbing a napkin from his tray, he stood on his seat and proceeded to wipe the orange puppet's eye frantically.

Rocky, recognizing the gesture and the good intentions behind them, dissuaded Gumball by blocking his arm with his own.

"I'm okay, Gumball," said Rocky, wiping the food off of his face and licking his finger. Briefly indulging in the taste of sloppy joe mixed with mashed potatoes. "I've been getting a lot of complaints about slipping on someone's lunch and having them drip in their eyes. Since it's you, I'm going to have to ask you to stop. Otherwise, you're spending the rest of your lunch time scrubbing the floors and the ceiling with me."

Gumball sat back on his table and snickered, his cheeks puffing. "Alright, if Principal Brown says so."

"Actually, that 'scrubbing the floors and ceilings during lunch' part wasn't from Brown." Rocky pulled his mop out of the bucket, ridding it of any excess water before getting to work.

"Huh?"

"I work here too, Gumball. I've got as much say here as the teachers and principal."

Hearing a remark like that from Rocky didn't ring well with Gumball and had left him kind of deflated. Since when was the last time he ever took his job seriously? Most of the time, he was preoccupied with his headphones and his heavy metal music to even care in the slightest. It's what put a strain between him and the Robinsons in the first place.

Left with no other choice, Gumball returned to his meal and shook his head. "If you say so," he commented, slowly feeding himself scoops of his sloppy joe. Sipping on his carton of apple juice.

"Hate to do this to you, little buddy, but I don't want you landing yourself in trouble. Especially when I have to do it." Those were Rocky's last words before moving to the rest of the cafeteria.

The Marvelite chimed and shone where it usually shone. Gumball's thigh turned warm from the radiance.

" _What_ doesn't _this guy do in this place?"_ Remy commented. _"I mean he's the janitor, the bus driver, the cook, the electrician… That must be_ some _resume he has under his belt."_

" _I know, right?"_ Gumball thought, chewing on his mashed potato.

" _Care to explain why?"_

" _I…haven't got a clue, to be honest. You gotta admit, he enjoys it. He doesn't complain at all, even if his work_ can _get crummy."_

" _Someone who doesn't complain about his lot in life…"_ Remy mused, the words striking a chord in him. His next sentence left him in a whisper. _"I sure wish there were more people like that in this world."_

" _You say something?"_

" _No. Forget about it."_

Remy took his leave, the Marvelite's glow waning. Gumball continued with his meal in silence, taking five minutes to consume all of his food. He had finished just in time for the afternoon bell to chime and began the walk back to his classroom, his peers passing by him.

On the way there, he wondered where Darwin had been the whole time. Where he had been these past few days. It was as if he was actively trying to avoid him, taking every possible measure there was. From moving his desk away from him to sitting at a different table, whether by himself or with an odd crowd. Yesterday, he was seated with the unlikeliest bunch that consisted of Tobias, Molly, Sarah and Juke.

The day before that, the bus rides going to and from the school were dead quiet, neither of them even looking each other in the eye. Any attempt Gumball made to look at him face to face resulted in his brother turning his head further.

It was almost like their need for a third friend all over again, which wouldn't exactly add up, since they made a pact not to let anything come between each other ever again. It couldn't be Darwin getting sick of playing second fiddle, either. They've come to terms that not one of them was bigger or more important than the other.

He wondered what had gotten over his own brother, what had driven him to stay clear of him. His mind came up blank.

Gumball was inches away from the classroom door, when the truth reared its ugly head before him.

"After you, milady," spoke Darwin, opening the door in a gentlemanly fashion and motioning some unseen person to enter.

That person was Jamie…

"Why thank you very much, babe," the troglodyte said in return, smiling at him. Entering the door with her backpack dangling behind her.

Gumball was taken aback by the sight, his eyes and mouth wide open, his jaw about to dislodge and fall to the floor. 'Babe'. Jamie had just uttered that. Jamie. A bruiser, a brute, a ruffian. _She_ called _Darwin_ 'babe'. Darwin. As in his pet-turned-little-brother Darwin.

And 'milady'? Since when was Darwin so in tune with girls? When was he such a player?

Trying his darndest to comprehend this, he paced back and forth in the hallway, his feet shuffling, creating a brushing sound with each move. This was a dream. A prank on Remy's part. No wait, it was a hallucination. Maybe he had put some unwanted ingredient in his soufflé yesterday that was making him go out of his mind.

Convinced of the possibility of all three options, Gumball took many steps back until he was at one end of the hallway. If he slammed directly into the wall at the other end, then he would wake up. The impact would snap him out of his daze, pull him from this stupor.

Like a runner at a trackrace, Gumball crouched into position and began counting down silently. When he reached one, he sounded off his best imitation of a gunshot and sprinted down the hallway and straight for the wall.

The noise gained the attention of the coach, who emerged from the classroom door and gave the blue blot that had been left on the wall nothing more but a detached gaze.

"Watterson, I have no idea what sort of game you're playing," the coach began, her tone as dry as the look on her face. "But stop it this instant and get inside. We're all waiting for you."

Gumball's only reply to his substitute teacher's request was a muffled, "Got it, coach."

With the coach having gone back inside, Gumball fell to the floor on his back. Every inch of his body ached. He could probably count the number of shattered bones and name the muscles that were sore. Okay, maybe his bones weren't really broken and his muscles weren't pulled or anything, but they _did_ hurt a lot.

The pain served as a harsh reminder to him. Darwin and Jamie as an item, that was no hallucination.

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:  
_**

 _This is probably the last chapter I'm going to post for now since I'll be going overseas to Britain very soon._

 _Anyway, don't forget to leave a review._

 _P.S. Yes, Darwin and Jamie are an item. I don't know what I was on when I made that decision, so don't ask. :p_


	11. Nothing to hide anymore

Chapter 11 – Nothing to hide…anymore

* * *

Another quiet ride home awaited Gumball and Darwin. But this afternoon would see the silence between the Watterson brothers broken for good.

Gumball sat by the window and kept his eyes trained outside. He made an effort not to move too much, as per the nurse's instructions. No one could see it, but underneath his sweater were countless layers of gauze securing his whole body and ensuring that every part of him healed at a decent pace. But with the way he moved from the school all the way to the bus—taking half-steps and stopping in between each one—it was odd that none of his classmates bothered to bring it up.

Except for Penny, of course, but she ws the one who led him to the nurse's office.

Darwin passed a glance at Gumball, aiming specifically at his pocket. The stone was slumbering now, but this wasn't about the stone. He searched for the cat's eyes, but they were swayed out of his sight.

"Gumball?" Darwin initiated, bringing his fin up towards his brother's face to console him, just to be rebuffed.

He chose to leave him to his own devices and looked the other way, but the sound of his ever familiar voice drew him back.

"How far in are the two of you?" Gumball said plainly, his voice sending a chill across his body.

"What?" an astonished Darwin asked, his eyes wide open.

"You and Jamie. How long? You made it to first base yet?"

Darwin could see where Gumball was coming from. He saw what his brother was planning. He was putting him on the spot. Once he had him where he wanted him, there was no escaping it. No point in denying it now that he had him figured out.

"No," said Darwin incredulously.

"So you're on second, right?" Gumball raised his voice a little higher.

"W-what?" Darwin flinched at the question, not anticipating Gumball of all people to ask him that. He pictured his mother saying that more than his own brother. "No! I don't know where you're even picking this up!"

"Then what is it? Third? Home run? What?!" Gumball's voice climbed until he was practically shouting.

Darwin was now literally at the edge of his seat, petrified by Gumball's anger. "Dude, what is your problem?" he retaliated, shouting at the top of his lungs. He wasn't going down without a fight.

"Oh ho ho ho ho, that's right. I forgot," Gumball exclaimed, flailing his arms like airplane wings to emphasize his point. His outburst was quickly drawing attention to the two of them, which he had intended. Earning him and Darwin the many staring eyes of his classmates. " _I'm_ the bad guy here, right? Not you, oh no. Because as we all know, secrets are perfectly okay now. We can just forget about the bro-code that we agreed on and flush it down the toilet. You don't have to say anything, man. I understand perfectly."

Throughout the whole bus, the other students were murmuring to one another, speculating at what the two of them were bickering about.

Noticing that their argument had escalated to this level, Darwin ducked and kept himself out of his classmates' sight, but not without assuring them that nothing was going on between them. That this was nothing out of the ordinary.

The orange fish crawled into his seat and lowered his voice into a whisper. "Cut it out!" he demanded, shooting a furious glare at his brother. "Really, Gumball? You're one to talk."

"There you go again." Gumball was still shouting. "Aren't you just remarkab—"

If he wasn't going to cooperate, then Darwin had to force him. He clamped his brother's mouth with one of his fins. Gumball could do so much better. The least he could do was be a bit more mature. A bit more level-headed.

"Stop it," Darwin ordered, his whispering voice razor sharp and forcing Gumball to bite his tongue and compromise. "Don't act all high and mighty with me, Gumball. If you can keep a secret, then there's no reason why I can't."

"What do you mean by—" Gumball whispered. His question was met with an abrupt end as he followed where Darwin was staring. His sights were set on the pocket of his pants, focusing on what was inside of it. "You know about the Marvelite."

"Yes, I do."

"You're in cahoots with Anais. You told her to take the stone from me in my sleep. You sent her to do your dirty work for you."

"I only told her what I thought I knew," Darwin rebuked, keeping a straight face for as long as he could before faltering. "And she did what?"

Darwin couldn't believe it himself. When he had told her that they should have been discreet with their approach, this was not what he had in mind.

"Oh, drop the act. I mean it." Gumball scowled, a wound in his chest. "That's why you haven't been talking to me. Am I right, or am I wrong?"

Wavering on his reply, Darwin darted his eyes to the side, only for them to meet with his brother's once again. "Well, yeah. But that part about Anais stealing from you? That was all her. You have to believe me, Gumball. You've never done that to me, and I'd never do that to you. You know that."

Gumball averted his eyes to the window and engaged in a grueling staring contest with his own reflection. Try as he might, he was not able to banish his bitterness. His anger. He could not simply ignore anyone gawking at him, especially not Darwin.

"I don't know what to believe," said the blue cat, his sentence cutting through Darwin's thick, gelatinous blubber.

He also could not ignore when Remy was preparing to speak, which was happening at that moment. The glow that burned along his thigh was too hard to just let slide from his shoulders, not that he had much of a choice to begin with.

In his mental encumbrance, he heard that cheery, high-pitched voice for the umpteenth time. Pictures of the human boy with the rosy cheeks, the eternal smile, the buttoned shirt and shorts, and the Mary Janes blossomed in his head.

" _Gumball, come on,"_ Remy pleaded. _"He's telling the truth, Gumball. You can't stay mad at him forever. He's your brother, for crying out loud. I can't stand to see you two like this."_

" _Easy for you to say,"_ Gumball retorted, his dull mask bouncing back to him from the windowpane.

Inside the Marvelite, the human child folded his arms and lowered his head. _"Tell you what. When you get home, let him know."_

" _You're sure?"_

" _Absolutely."_

The Marvelite's shine waned, as did Remy's voice. As did his presence. Gumball looked away from the window and met eyes with Darwin, who had been watching the entirety of the conversation.

"What did it say?" asked Darwin. Whatever the stone had told Gumball, he hoped that it would put their squabble to rest.

"This and that," was Gumball's more-than-ambiguous response. He elaborated on the phrase by telling his brother, "I want to show you something when we get back."

* * *

The three Watterson children entered the front door of their house, which had been empty the whole afternoon, like with every other weekday, save for their father Richard. He was asleep on the sofa, a half-empty bowl of nachos on his belly, moving up and down to the rhythm of his breathing.

Anais, ever the level-headed one of the trio of siblings, took to her father to wake him up and greet him hello, cleaning up half of the mess he had made while she was at it. The brothers went ahead to their room, Gumball locking the door shut.

"So what did you want to show me?" Darwin shrugged.

Gumball fished for the Marvelite in his pants and held it out for his brother to see. He kept the stone out for some time, receiving a lukewarm face from the orange fish child.

Darwin's expression quickly changed when Gumball placed his fin atop the stone and it gave off its psychedelic luminescence. The room was then engulfed in the Marvelite's blinding light.

 _The Watterson brothers found themselves standing in what appeared to be a wasteland of sorts. Ravine, valley, any of them would do. They fit the place perfectly and described what it was. What it had._

 _What_ little _it had._

 _Not a single soul could be seen in this barren location. Mountains and hills were all that were here, assembled in a formation. Rising as little as the height of ten people stacked on top of each other, and as high as the clouds, surpassing them even. The dirt ground should have been rough on their feet, moreso on Gumball's, but the terrain was more or less flat and the pebbles nonexistent. Was this another memory?_

 _Unzipping before the pair was a spatial shaft, and out of the passage stepped Remy, greeting them with his now-trademark smile._

" _You're…" Darwin tried, but was at a loss for words._

 _The human extended his arm out to the fish boy and told him, "Remy. Nice to meet you."_

" _H-hi," Darwin began again and reluctantly placed his fin in the boy's hand, calming his nerves, but still stunned. Speechless. Everything he had ever suspected was confirmed with this one encounter. Solidified with that handshake. He felt his confidence returning and added, "Darwin Raglan Caspian Ahab Poseidon Nicodemus Watterson the Third. But Darwin's fine."_

 _Remy retreated a step, flincing at the lengthy name. In a way, it was funny. It was cute. It elicited a giggle from him. "That's a mouthful. I'll stick to 'Darwin', like you said. And 'Third'?"_

" _Yeah." Darwin beamed a tiny smile._

" _What happened to the other two?"_

" _I'd rather not talk about it," Darwin remarked, turning his head to the side. All of a sudden disgruntled, and taking his frustrations out on Gumball by shooting a glare that sunk inside the cat's fur and skin._

 _Gumball rolled his eyes and sighed, and he fired back, effectively triggering a petty squabble. The second one of the day, and another entry to add to their long list of instances of beating a dead horse. He countered by reminding his brother that he already apologized to him before. That he was sorry for his mistreatment of Darwin the First and Darwin the Second, for leaving them to their untimely fates._

 _Like his glare not a minute ago, Darwin's rebuttal had left Gumball quite affected, his words cutting past his feline brother's layers, past his defenses. He answered by telling him that it could have been him instead of the previous two Darwins._

 _No matter how hard he tried, the words could not come out of Gumball's mouth. He had no words. He had no response. Only stammers. Only fragments and failed tries._

 _Having seen enough, Remy leapt in between the brothers and held out both of his hands at the two of them._

" _Okay, that's enough," the human shouted, his surging emotions putting the Wattersons' attention into his hands. Like the strings of a puppet. "Now, you two can argue about something that, from what I can tell, has already passed. You can bicker to your heart's content, OR I can give you the tour around town like I promised. You can only have one, so take your pick!"_

 _A pervasive silence dispersed throughout the desolate valley as Gumball and Darwin contemplated on the ultimatum. One of the thoughts that sprung in Gumball's mind was that his and Darwin's bickering was nothing new to them. It was one of the most recurring parts of their brotherhood, and he wouldn't have it any other way. It reminded him that at the end of the day, they were still brothers. And that no obstacle, big or small, could drive a wedge between them._

 _Taking that out would be like taking out the night from the day. Like the yin and the yang without the other. Like the sky without the earth. It wouldn't bode well. Remy had just tried to do that. Gumball was hard-pressed as to why he did what he did. He has had siblings of his own, so he should know the meaning of being a brother or sister more than anyone else. Just as well as he did._

 _After much time has passed, Gumball and Darwin forewent their tiff to get started on the journey across the olden-day Elmore._

 _At least, that's what the brothers had originally thought they were going today._

 _To their surprise, Remy was actually leading them across the valley. The Wattersons would not have been here if his plans were different in the slightest. As the three of them walked along the dirt ground, the Watterson brothers were starting to sense that there was more to this desolate space than meets the eye. They felt it underneath their feet. Something cold, hard and smooth to the touch._

 _It was a railway track. They had not noticed it until now, until they were farther down the valley and out of the mountain ranges. The path branched off into forks of two or three every now and then, and upon exploring the place some more, they saw the precise spot these tracks came from. They were standing before it right now._

 _A huge opening in one of the mountains, framed by a pair of swinging wooden doors. This part of the valley was noticeably more alive than the rest of the entire area. People entered and exited these doors, wearing leather workboots to cope with the harsh terrain, hard helmets in the rare event that rocks fell on their heads, and overalls to compensate for the heat. Many of them were handling equipment of a specific purpose. Some of them had pickaxes in their hands and struck certain parts of the mountain with them, with tremendous force. Others hauled large wooden carts that rolled along the railways and contained a wealth of minerals and ore._

 _Gumball wondered to himself. He had been to almost every part of Elmore by now, and not once did he ever think that there was a mine somewhere around the town or its outskirts. Then again, he did recall a past life as a prospector's mule. But that would have been as good a clue as any._

 _Remy took point once again and guided Gumball and Darwin across the excavation site, passing by each miner as they struck their veins of ore and went in and out the doors. Without further ado, he began a lecture on what was once one of the town's most popular and richest industries – mining. The Wattersons listened attentively._

 _Before Elmore became what it was now, mining was all the rage. One could fetch a respectable price for any fine material, from granite to gold to tourmaline to carbuncle. Even if it were only an ore extracted from a vein, the profit gained would be more than enough to put an entire year's worth of food on the table. As such, the business was competitive to get into. The industry was quickly taken advantage of. It accounted for most of the people's jobs._

 _When Darwin asked what became of Elmore's glorious mining business, Remy relented on his answer. His optimism had briefly vanished from him as he gave a single statement as his only answer, "That's a topic for another day," and continued on his path._

 _Deeper into the mine, Gumball saw that none of the miners were speaking to them. They didn't even stop for a second to bid the three of them 'hello' or tell them that this was no place for children. This was another one of Remy's recollections. It was a shame because Darwin was missing out on a lot; experiencing the old Elmore itself would have been much better as opposed to just a memory of it._

" _Let me show you how it's done," a voice from some secluded part of the mine spoke._

 _Remy, familiar with how his memories played out, ushered his feline and fish friends to the direction of the voice. What they found were two men drenched in their own sweat, their clothes clinging to their skin. One of them was lying on the ground, exhausted from the effort he had put in. The second man was on his feet, looking down on his coworker with disdain. His face rung a bell in Gumball._

" _First of all,_ that _is not how you hold a pickaxe," said the upright man, yanking his downed colleague's tool for a demonstration. Striking the stone wall before them five times before stopping. "Keep a firm grip on it and rally it back at just the right distance. Move it back too far and you're going to fall, no questions asked."_

 _Watching this man showing a less experienced miner the tricks of the trade made Remy chuckle under his breath. "I forgot to mention that my dad's also a miner. That's the reason why we're able to afford our house and pretty much everything we own."_

 _Gumball couldn't help but crinkle his face into a frown. Remy said so himself that this was supposed to be his father, Bernard, but to the blue cat, it didn't seem that way. Bernard the miner and Bernard the doting father were two very different people. He could see that very clearly from this scene alone._

 _Most of the fathers Gumball knew were quirky, in a way. But when push comes to shove, they knew when to take matters seriously. This man, Bernard, had no quirks to him. He was as honest as the word allowed. A blue-collar individual with a no-nonsense attitude and a dedication worthy of respect. There was no gray area to be seen in Bernard. Either he was a caring, if at times overbearing family man, or a miner hardened in heart, mind, body, soul and spirit by the dangerous conditions he worked in._

" _Now, let's see you give it a try," Bernard said, dropping the pickaxe to the ground._

 _He looked on as his hapless colleague lifted the tool with his two hands and did as he was shown, setting his feet shoulder-length apart and hitting the wall multiple times. Growing more and more accustomed to the tedium._

" _Hey, I'm getting the hang of this," the miner remarked, his grip on his pickaxe tightening. "Thanks, Bernie."_

" _Whatever." Claiming his own pickaxe from the railway tracks, Bernard resumed with his work and drove his apparatus against the wall over and over. "Don't let it get to your head."_

" _My dad is_ really _into his job," Remy commented, flashing a wry grin. "Maybe a little into it."_

" _I'll say," Darwin added._

 _Rubbing his paws, Gumball tapped his human friend on the shoulder. "Are you going to show my brother around town now?"_

 _Remy rattled his head. "Oh, right. How could I let that slip from my mind?" He and Gumball joined hands, offering their other to the fish child. "Darwin, hold on tight."_

" _Why?" Darwin retracted his arms, weary of what the human was intending._

 _Gumball shook his head and moaned. Even three years after growing his legs, Darwin had a bit more work to do if he wanted to live in this world. "It's going to be a bumpy ride."_

" _What he said. Come on."_

 _Now that their hands were joined, Remy sealed his eyes shut and focused, gathering as much energy as he could. Channeling them towards every part of his body._

 _A gale spiraled around the three boys and lifted them out of the mine. It carried them from the current memory and across an entire field of them. The images and sequences projected depicted various moments in Remy's life, both good and bad._

 _Gumball observed them for the duration of the flight. One of them showed Remy and his baby sister Julia sitting on the side of the road and indulging in ice cream cones. Julia had accidentally dropped one of her scoops to the ground from licking them too furiously, causing her to burst in tears. Remy gave her one of his own scoops, letting it slide gently from his cone to hers. As her way of showing thanks, Julia gave her brother a quick hug before going back to her dessert, carefully lapping her scoops this time around._

 _Another picture that Gumball witnessed was Remy in the living room of his home, lying on the sofa with a pained expression, his mother Catherine nursing a wound on his knee with some antiseptic, cotton and gauze. How badly was he hurt that she had to use this much stuff, Gumball wondered._

 _Several more sequences and images appeared before Gumball's eyes. They came to him in droves. There were too many of them to count, so he sorted them according to which ones he was affected by._

 _One by one he listed them._

 _First was Remy and Julia once again, this time riding their bicycles along a footpath in a park._

 _The next was the brother and sister pair walking in on Catherine and Bernard kissing in their bedroom, with tongue-to-tongue action to boot, looking on at their parents with utter disgust._

 _The last image Gumball added to his list was Remy watching his baby brother Monty as he slept in his cot, looking at him with a gaze that was gentle as a summer breeze._

 _That was the end of his list. Or at least Gumball assumed it was._

 _One more picture emerged before his eyes and quickly took the number one spot in his list. It was not of Remy or his family. It was of a place._

 _A cemetery, in the dead of the night. A heavy downpour was upon the place, drenching every tombstone erected, the crashing thunder rolling down Gumball's spine. One certain tombstone stuck out to him. The epitaph written on it was wired into his mind._

'Too good for this world, taken from it so abruptly.'

 _While the thunder crashes made Gumball's spine quake, this sentence tugged at his heartstrings, playing them like some kind of instrument. He looked away from the image, but it was no use. It was too deeply imprinted. He was ensnared in a trance where he wondered if that was really one of Remy's recollections. If that tombstone, that epitaph, belonged to him._

 _The three children landed on Elmorean soil after an admittedly longer-than-usual trip. Darwin wasted little time in exploring the old town with Remy by his side, but Gumball remained in his trance, viewing that same image in his mind repeatedly._

" _Gumball," Remy hollered from a distance. "Are you coming or what?"_

 _Hearing his name jostled Gumball out of his stupor. He started running and waving his arm and yelled back at them. "Wait up!"_

 _The image of the cemetery was like a parasite that clung to him. It engulfed him whole, from head to toe._

 _No matter where he looked, no matter what he did, this image was there to stay._

* * *

 _Just because I'm on a vacation doesn't mean I can't upload a chapter now, does it?_

 _Anyway, I have the conclusion planned out. Here's hoping you guys enjoy it, just as I'm sure you're enjoying the story so far._


	12. For your ears only

_**The Beginning**_

 **by Christopher R. Martin  
**

Chapter 12 – For your ears only

* * *

The entire seventh grade class was assembled inside Elmore Junior High's school gym, standing at attention and awaiting instructions. The coach held her fingers in her mouth and tried blowing a single whistle, but as always, she could not pull it off, instead spewing out saliva onto the faces of her students. Why she never bothered just affording her own whistle was a question that was left unanswered even up to now.

To this day, a handful of students and even the faculty were still baffled as to how their coach didn't look anything like a coach. Heck, her claim that she was an Olympic gold medalist was enough to turn heads and blow minds. Anyone of that stature couldn't dream of performing a somersault or run faster than a snail or score a slam dunk or touchdown.

Come to think of it, not a single student of this school has ever seen her perform any sort of athletic feat. It seemed that just knowing how to do a sport or any kind of physical activity was more than enough at this school. In the coach's defense, she really _did_ have the know-how and plenty of it.

Putting her efforts to whistle to rest, the coach stood before the class and panned her eyes from one student to another. She was a drill sergeant, commanding authority and obstinacy, and her students were the hapless privates about to undergo a rigorous training regimen.

The coach explained to her students the name of the game: hockey. She ushered their eyes to where she stood. A long and tall goal was set on either side of the gym. Next to the coach was a bucket containing just enough hockey sticks for everyone in the class, and on her other side was a rack that held the necessary protective equipment for the sport—helmets, padded aprons and mits for the goalies. In her hand was the ball for them to use during the game.

She detailed these at her leisure and promptly ordered the students to fetch their sticks from the bucket and their protective gear from the rack. She then assigned Gumball and Darwin Watterson as the captains representing the two teams. For the other students, the numbers one and two were allotted to them in an alternating pattern. The 'ones' were designated to Gumball's team, and the 'twos' to Darwin's.

As per their coach's orders, the two teams huddled together to discuss, to devise, their strategy for the game for five minutes. It might have been a huge coincidence for the two brothers, but nevertheless, they were pleasantly surprised to find that their respective significant others were in the same team as them; Gumball had Penny, and Darwin had Jamie.

Gumball's stomach churned slightly. He was happy for Darwin and hoped nothing but the best for his relationship, but this was going to take some getting used to. He was going to need some time until his brother and a bully as an item was not a bizarre concept to him anymore.

"What do you think, Gumball?" Tobias asked, frowning at his on-off friend. Bitter about not being selected as the captain.

"Huh?" Gumball flinched out of his momentary stupor. "Uh-huh, sounds good. Let's stick with that. Wait, what did you guys talk about?"

Tobias palmed his face hard, but Penny only shook his head and explained the game plan.

"Here's how were going to do this," the shapeshifter started. "Gumball, you and Tobias are going to run that ball all the way to the other side while I get into position for a clear shot. You two are then going to pass the ball to me, and I'll try to score a goal. Carrie and Tina are going to be on defense, while Banana Joe will be our goalie."

Gumball pouted his lips. "Aw, but _I_ want to take the shot," he said in a whiny yet playful manner.

Penny cringed and hissed. "No offense, but your hand-eye coordination needs more work," she replied in as comforting and sensitive a way as she could. "If you're accidentally hitting me in the face with a broom handle, then I doubt you can shoot a ball into a goal."

"Fair point." Gumball sighed. "But did you really have to bring that up? It was an accident, and I already apologized to you."

Penny giggled. She could clearly see that he was only fooling around. She had no grudge about that fiasco, but chose to play along anyway. "Eh, I still have that bump on my head. Right here."

Catching on to her game, Gumball giggled along with the shapeshifter, to the chagrin of their teammates.

"Okay, you two lovebirds," Carrie the ghost girl intervened. "Save that sugary, syrupy, diarrhea-inducing baby talk for later. _Much_ later."

"What she said!" Tobias exclaimed in agreement. "And while we're at it, let's have a show of hands for those who think leadership should change over from Gumball to me!" He was the first and the only one to raise his hand. He eyed his fellow teammates, who gave him a squinty-eyed stare and left him hanging. "Someone? Anyone…?"

Unamused, Tina Rex gave the iridescent boy a well-deserved thwap on the back of his head with her long tail.

"Thank you, Tina," Gumball complimented.

"No sweat," replied the dinosaur nonchalantly, ignoring the fact that she might have knocked Tobias unconscious or given him a slight concussion.

"Alright you guys, hands in!" Gumball called, and his team obliged to his order, including a reluctant Tobias. He thought of a good phrase for them to shout in unison—something inspiring yet clever—and it came to him swiftly, naturally. "On three, 'numero uno'." The phrase was spoken with a Spanish flourish. "One. Two. Three!"

"Numero uno!" exclaimed the whole team, their voices booming across the gym, vibrating the ground underneath.

"Time's up, everyone," the coach cried out, backing away from the court and towards the bleachers.

Both teams moved into position, hunching forward, concentrating on their respective targets intently. Their eyes washing over one another, detecting any sudden movements, any signs of nervousness. The two captains, Gumball and Darwin, settled themselves at the center of the court, aligning their sticks parallel of each other, with the ball in between them. They awaited the coach's whistle…

…or her spitting, briefly forgetting that she didn't really have that ability at all.

The game begun anyway, and both teams made haste and put into motion their respective strategies. Gumball and Tobias did as they were assigned, swiping the ball from the other team and sprinting over to the opposing goal, where Penny waited for her chance to strike.

It was a solid strategy on their part, one that Team Darwin had acknowledged. It would have worked had it not been for their greatest gambit. Their ace in the hole. And that gambit, that great asset took the form of a gray blur that ran circles all over the members of Team Gumball, moving at such pace, such velocity, that keeping up with it required moving at the speed of light.

The dizzying blur stopped right in front of its mark—the goal on Team Gumball's end. It revealed itself as Jamie, her hockey stick primed and ready to fire. A fearsome smile was upon her face, as if to say 'game, set and match'. That this game was over long before it even started.

She swung her stick and set the ball rocketing straight for the goal, catching fire through its immense friction.

"Goal!" shouted the coach in one of the rare instances she broke her monotony. The ball had torn a burning, charring hole in the net, and was lodged deep into the cement wall.

The goalie, Banana Joe, was left kneeling on the floor, cowering at the display of athletic ability, and the rest of Team Gumball open-mouthed and wide-eyed for that same reason.

Jamie pumped her fists, giving herself a pat on the back.

Actually, that was someone else. Darwin was the one giving her the congratulatory pat, grinning from cheek to cheek, ear to ear, his blubber embellished by a light shade of red.

"Good going, Jamie!" Darwin exclaimed triumphantly, unknowingly flushing out his partner's joy. He raised his fin into the air. "Put it there."

Jamie swayed her eyes from her fishy partner to decline on the high five, deflating his spirits in return for him deflating hers. But he was only complimenting her. He _did_ find her athleticism 'pretty cool', which she was thrown off by at first, but was grateful for what could be the only compliment she was ever going to receive in her life.

In the meantime, Gumball was looking on with his lips curled into an amused smirk. He slapped his paws together and rubbed them, motivated to win this game no matter what.

Regrouping his teammates, he stated to them, "They wanna play hardball? Fine. I'm down with that. The gloves are off now. Let's put them in their place, everyone."

"Right!" all of Team Gumball shouted back, pumping their fists with the same determination as their captain's.

"Hands in. Numero uno, on three. One, two, three."

"Numero uno!"

They broke their hands from the center and reassumed their starting positions. With the coach's spitting sounding in the gym, the game had recommenced, and Gumball grabbed the perfect start he needed, swiping the ball out of Darwin's range.

Per the original plan, he and Tobias blitzed towards the goal, passing the ball back and forth. Tobias in particular was more cooperative this time around, especially now that he has seen the will to win in his captain's eyes. The ball now in his possession, he struck it towards Penny who was lying in wait just outside of the base line.

As the distance between them shortened, the shapeshifter girl metamorphosed in anticipation of her mark, Jamie. She chose her lupine form for nimbleness, and she clamped her hockey stick in her mouth and snatched the ball from her psychedelic teammate long before the gray blur could get to him. The goal in her sight, she swung her stick and propelled the ball at a speed that overwhelmed the opposing goalie, Clayton.

"Score!" Gumball hollered, cupping his paws around his mouth. High-fiving his teammates one at a time.

The members of Team Darwin—including their captain—flustered by what could only be described as cheating, signaled to the coach and cried foul. The coach merely shrugged her arms, finding no problem in the strategy that was put into effect by Team Gumball.

It was then that the game had finally begun. The rest of the match ran its course, and neither team was holding back. There was officially a no holds barred game. Every player gave their all, running back and forth in the court, nabbing the ball from their opposition and shooting it as hard as they could, employing every tactic under their belt that involved their respective quirks.

On Team Gumball's side, Tobias' ever-changing spiral of colors was used to cause a temporary daze. Penny's shapeshifting enabled her to adapt to any given situation. Likewise, Carrie's transparency gave another distinct advantage. Tina's sheer size and strength spoke for itself. And even Joe's banana peel was effective as a distraction and an obstacle.

That wasn't to say that Team Darwin was a slouch, by any stretch of the word. Jamie's peak physical prowess was self-explanatory. She was practically a one-woman team. As for the rest of their players, Carmen and Bobert made for an impeccable brick wall of a defense, the former with her needle-laden body and the latter with all of his built-in mechanisms giving him a distinct advantage. Clayton was more or less their answer to Penny and as such was a well-suited goalie. Last but not least, Masami proved to be just as much an athlete as everyone else in the class, now that she was making more use of her legs. She wasn't quite on the same level as Jamie, but the cloud girl could really move.

The hockey game was fierce, if not chaotic. The tide would turn one direction and back again. Both teams were nip and tuck of each other. It was a spectacle of sport and everything that made the students of Elmore Junior High who they were. A match such as this was sure to draw in a crowd that filled up every stand in the gym. The coach herself has not gone back to her usual monotonous disposition and was at the edge of her seat, unsure about which team to root for.

By the time of the fourth and final quarter, the score was dead even – eight points per team. Thirty seconds. The victor was to be decided during this time. The final play was crucial for both teams.

The tension was sinking into everyone's hearts and minds. Despite preserving their cool, despite staying calm in the face of this pressure, their idle twitching and fidgeting only showed their frazzled nerves.

Team Gumball commanded an outstanding momentum, swiftly grabbing the ball and hustling to make the winning shot, sidestepping past the defense of the opposition. Team Darwin's efforts were just as valiant, with Masami and Bobert in hot pursuit of Penny, who slalomed the ball as she rushed to the goal. _No good_ , she thought. She was cornered. Not even her transformations were going to get her out of this. Not with Bobert's sensors picking her out with ease.

"Gumball!" the shapeshifter yelled, rallying her hockey stick. "It's all you!"

Now in possession of the ball, Gumball raced from the base line towards the goal guarded by Clayton.

"I got this!" the blue cat shouted, about to score the winning shot. He brought his stick down and gave the ball a hard smack.

' _Too good for this world, taken from it so abruptly.'_

Gumball winced, his eyes and his mind playing a trick on him. For a while there, he was so sure of himself that he heard those words from last night. That he saw that one vivid image. He was so sure that he had dispelled it from the corners of his mind, never to resurface in him.

Everything around him was in slow motion. At least, it seemed that way to him. The voices of his friends had dipped in pitch, sounding like the guttural noises an animal made. He could have sworn that he had struck the ball much harder than that.

' _You are in a much better place now.'_

No, he wasn't seeing things. The tombstone. The cemetery. The pouring rain. The crashing thunder. The picture hadn't gone away. It was as vivid as the first time he saw it. Remy interjecting himself into his life was one thing, but why was this image coming back to him? Why couldn't he get it out of his system?

More importantly, why was he light-headed all of a sudden?

Why did he feel cold?

* * *

Try as he could, opening his eyes was an impossibility at the moment. Even if he did open them, it wasn't going to be worth it. His vision was just going to be fuzzy, and his head was so heavy he swore that it was made out of iron.

He felt something soft underneath his person. It was some kind of fabric – a pillow and a bedsheet. Strange. He didn't recall lying down on a bed somewhere.

Nothing was making sense whatsoever to him. Being unable to open his eyes, his aching head, his blurred sight, the fact that he was on a bed this very instant, he didn't understand why they were happening.

As he pieced it all together, a pair of voices entered his mind. Both feminine, one of them older than the other.

"Is he going to be alright, nurse?"

"Hmm. It doesn't appear to be anything severe. He's breathing fine, and there's nothing wrong with the rest of his vital signs. Oh! He's waking up now."

His face winced and crinkled. Nurse? Was he at a hospital or a nurse's office? How did he arrive here? Did he fall ill?

Calmly he opened his eyes. Most of them. He saw what he needed to see to confirm his hunches. Among the objects he saw were a weighing scale, a stethoscope, a jar of unused syringes, a box with a label that said 'cotton balls' stuck to it and an entire pantry full of medicine and other equipment. The clock just above the cupboard read twelve-thirty in the afternoon.

Over to his side were the two people speaking not too long ago. He turned his body past the edge of the bed and rubbed his face to clear his eyesight and his head.

"Gumball!" Penny gasped, wrapping her arms around her cat boyfriend. "Thank goodness you're alright. You really had me going there."

"As I said, Miss Fitzgerald, it's only a minor concussion. He should be recovered before the end of the day," said the nurse, keeping a record of this newest visit to her office on her clipboard.

"I had a concussion?" asked a bewildered Gumball, rubbing his head. He flinched when his paws caressed a certain spot that was harsh to touch.

"And you might want to avoid touching that area for the time being. It's still tender," the nurse stated plainly.

"You don't remember getting one?" Penny angled herself to get a closer look on Gumball's face. Just to be sure that the nurse was telling the truth.

The nurse's subsequent explanation about concussions affecting short-term memory flew right by Gumball's head as the blue cat tried to retrace how this happened. It returned to him in relatively short order.

He recalled the hockey game that he had for this morning's gym class. It was a really good and really close match, one that he was sure to win. One that he had in the bag. Last he remembered, he was just getting ready to make the winning goal for his team when he saw the picture of the cemetery and that tombstone along the hill. That picture obscured his eyes from the ball as it made the goal.

Or _did_ it make the goal? If only it hit him.

 _Hit_. A light bulb flickered on in his mind. _So_ that's _how it happened_.It was the ball that struck him. Now he was asking himself why Penny had entrusted the ball to him. He was embarrassed to think that it had put him into a coma. He was unbelieving that his own hand-eye coordination was bad to a point where instead of shooting a hockey ball into a blatantly open goal, it had ricocheted from the frame and onto his head.

"You're right, Penny," said Gumball, interjecting himself into the conversation between his girlfriend and the nurse. He hoped to make light out of this conundrum, thinking it would soothe both him and her. "My hand-eye coordination really _does_ suck." He chuckled for good measure.

Penny giggled back, so it had to be working. She placed a hand on his paw and caressed his face with her other hand.

"That's nothing we can't fix now, is it?" Penny returned, consoling her darling with her wordplay and her deft touch.

"Before I forget," the nurse inserted herself. "Watterson, even if you're for the most part alright, I suggest that you not to take part in any physical activity until you're one hundred percent recovered. Now, give me a minute to write up a note for your teacher." With a click of her pen, she busied herself with a sticky note clamped onto her clipboard.

Meanwhile, Gumball stood from the table one foot at a time, his posture slightly groggy. Penny aided him in keeping his balance, securing him as required. Asking how he was faring, to which he assured her he was doing well.

"Easy there," said Penny, as though she were walking a tightrope.

In the time it took for the nurse to complete her note, Gumball again thought of the tombstone he saw, now of his own volition. And among his new assortment of thoughts were matters that he hadn't bothered himself with in the past, and with these matters were misgivings and apprehensions that were also new to him.

These were simple issues, yet pressing all the same.

These were matters of life and death…

* * *

 _The expedition for the day was back at the mine outside of Elmore. Since there weren't any miners here at the moment, and the surroundings felt real to Gumball, this was most likely a dreamscape._

 _Speaking of which, the dirt ground was rough to the touch, moreso on Gumball. The pebbles dug into the soles of his feet, lodging with one step and dislodging with the next. This was one reason why he sometimes wished he was wearing shoes instead of going barefoot all the time._

 _Gumball groaned and aired his complaints for Remy to hear._

" _You're forgetting where we are," the human stated with a giggle. Through the snap of his fingers, Gumball's feet were no longer agitated, strained from walking across the dirt._

 _Looking below, the feline boy beheld a pair of leather boots that his feet have now been adorned with. Grateful, he continued on the path, with his human companion as his ever-reliable escort._

 _Inside the mines, they traversed the path they had crossed before, with the metallic tracks guiding them where they should go. At the three-way fork, Remy urged the both of them down the middle path, which was not as illuminated as the other two paths. Their only source of light was Remy himself, his iridescent aura showing both boys the way. He continued his tale along the way._

 _From what he had gathered, the miners who worked here hardly ventured towards this certain direction. It was easy to see why from the lack of light, but perhaps it was also because the other two paths had more materials to excavate. If memory served him, there were only a handful of them who had gone down this path._

 _But there was one person that he knew for sure had been here once before._

" _Who was it?" asked Gumball, staying as close to the human as possible._

 _Remy turned on his heels and exhaled heavily. "It was me," he said, a somberness creeping into his voice._

 _His response to the feline's subsequent question of 'why?' was to lead him down the rest of the path. It had become too dark for even his veil of light to manage. The path was taking a sudden decline that would eventually lead to a chasm, which Gumball and Remy falling into it. Remy, anticipating this, tore a spatial shaft open underneath him, both boys passing through it and landing safely on the bottom of the chasm._

 _Somewhat safely, in Gumball's case, who ended up rolling along the ground and braking to a rough halt. Dusting the specks of dirt from his fur and sweater, he took to Remy's side, who was looking on with a vapid mask. Like he were in a trance._

 _As soon as he turned to where his friend was looking, he could see why he was unmoving. Why he was hypnotized. Spellbound._

 _He hadn't seen anything like it. A giant vein of Marvelite, glowing the exact same spectrum of colors he saw in the museum. The same spectrum of colors that Remy himself was exuding. Although it couldn't really be called a vein of Marvelite because the stuff was everywhere, spanning across this hollow, tiny space. Dangling from the ceiling, nestled at every corner, hanging from the walls, taking on different shapes and formations. This one material was abundant in this gorge._

" _Unbelievable," commented Gumball, his breath taken away._

 _Remy approached the nearest lump of Marvelite, caressing its curve and contour with the back of his fingers. He delved into yet another one of his stories._

" _This place and I go a long way," he started fondly, a faint smile on his face passing and leaving. "I'll never forget the first time I've been here."_

" _What was it like?" said Gumball, exploring the gorge and getting a feel for this mineral in its rawest form._

" _Glad you asked." A second light smile surfaced on Remy's mouth, and unlike the one prior to it, it lingered a bit longer. "It was a Saturday afternoon. My dad figured that he should bring me and Julia along so that we could see him at work. He brought us around the mines and showed us the ropes. He even gave us lessons on how to use a pickaxe and a minecart. Julia and I were playing all kinds of games here. Hide and seek, tag, whatever you can come up with, there's a good chance that we've played it."_

 _At the halfway point of his tale, the human boy strolled around the chasm, touching the Marvelite on the tips of his fingers. As his mind invoked picture after picture of that day, his smile waned, wavered, before slipping off of his face altogether._

" _We even took a ride on one of the minecarts while Dad wasn't looking," Remy went on. "I was the one who came up with that brilliant idea. Some genius I was." He meant the last sentence as a sarcastic one, but Gumball was oblivious to this. "So we took a cart for a spin. We were really enjoying ourselves. We were screaming our lungs off, but I think Julia screamed louder than me. Heh."_

" _Sounds like you had a good time," Gumball commented, envious._

" _We did. For a moment."_

" _Huh?"_

" _The third time we rode the cart—yes, we rode it three times—we went down this way. It was a terrible decision. We had no idea that it was dark around here. We tried the brakes, but they weren't working as soon as it got steep. I was scared, and so was Julia. I yelled for her to jump out of the cart. The worst she suffered was a scrape on her face."_

" _What about you? Were you able to get out?"_

 _Remy shook his head. "I didn't have any time. Look over there. Do you see that?" He pointed his finger upwards, directing Gumball's eyes to a railway track that had broken off past the chasm. "That's why I said going this way was a terrible decision. Riding that mine cart was not the brightest idea I've ever had. And that's also why we didn't ride one going here."_

 _Gumball folded his arms and tilted his head, seeing his human friend's line of reasoning._

" _I've been stuck here for hours, unable to get out," Remy mused. "I thought I was going to die here. I could hear Julia calling out to me from above, yelling 'big brother!' again and again. Neither of us have ever been that desperate."_

" _Did she go get help?"_

" _Yup. And while I waited, I could feel something." Remy cracked a wry smile. "It was warm, gentle. Inviting. I wondered where it was coming from. I didn't know whether to be afraid or be relaxed. As if being stranded in an enormous pit wasn't bad enough. I think I had to wait three hours before someone finally came."_

 _The human paused to give one of the clumps of Marvelite a wistful look._

" _And that's how I discovered all of this. It was the most incredible thing I've ever seen. These rocks—this 'Marvelite', as you people call it now—just a piece of it was enough to afford an entire mansion. So you could imagine how much this whole cave could get you."_

 _His arms still folded and head tilted, Gumball digested these words and nodded, agreeing with everything Remy told. Though he had originally dismissed this mineral as 'nothing special', he had to admit that he thought it was worth a fortune the first time around, and even now. It could pick up more than a pretty penny in the market. If only a shard of it could pay that much, a lump of it might buy off an entire country._

 _But it wasn't like he had any plans on giving up his shard for all the money in the world. His dismissal of the Marvelite and the myth that surrounded it, that was in the past. Maybe it was a coincidence that the museum curator had given him that shard during that field trip, maybe he had intended it from the very start._

 _Regardless of why or how this happened in the first place, he was glad that things have turned out the way they have now. Had he declined Mister Emery's offer, things would have been much different._

" _So that's the story behind Elmore," said Gumball, processing every single word. Pleasantly intrigued, a satisfaction settling in him from listening to the tale._

 _Remy looked over his shoulder before turning around and shook his head once more. "Not quite. There's still a lot more ground to cover, but that's a story for another day. So, did you want to do something else?"_

 _As soon as he was asked, Gumball immediately thought of_ that _picture once again. Seeing as there were no boundaries in the dream realm, he decided to give something a try. He clapped his paws two times and before he knew it, the picture he had in mind was in his grasp._

 _He passed the photograph over to Remy and asked him what the picture entailed. What significance that cemetery had to him._

 _Remy stared in silence at the picture, the inscription on the tombstone striking a chord in the human child's chest. His eyes skimmed over the picture, his head pounding and heart thumping. It figures that this aspect of his life would be pointed out, and by his friend, no less. The closest friend he has had in decades. In his many years of existence_

 _Denying him the chance to learn would be the biggest slap in the face he could give him. Not that he was ever going to outright avoid talking about this._

 _The human took a respectable amount of time to ponder on his next course of action. He realized that the 'story for another day' excuse was no longer valid. Gumball had made it so when he made this picture appear in thin air._

" _I_ was _going to get to this soon, but…" Remy held the sentence there, his whispering tone complimenting his unease. "Remember, you asked for this," he warned, as if there was some kind of risk to be had. Beckoning a gale from above his head._

 _The wind had transported Gumball and Remy from one recollection to another. The human detailed each memory as best as he could as they flashed before them._

 _The first sequence showed Remy at his home, wrapped in the arms of his sobbing mother while his father's anger was brought to bear before him, each word spoken in a thundering, earth-splitting voice. He was being scolded for disregarding his father's instructions, for taking a ride on the minecart after being explicitly told not to. Julia did not fare any better, as she too was being reprimanded for her own recklessness. Like her mother, she was crying her heart out, her tears shed for many reasons. For almost dying from their joyride gone awry and for nearly losing her brother._

 _For the upcoming three or so scenes, Remy was venturing to and from the chasm in the mine, in order to get a good look at the rainbow-colored stones. In these back and forth journeys, he had grown more and more accustomed with the mine itself, deducing the safest way to enter and exit the chasm and becoming more adept with crossing his thought-up path. The place quickly turned into his next secret spot along with the side of the cliff atop the neighboring mountain._

 _The scenario after that was considerably drearier and tore a hole in both Remy's and Gumball's chests. Not a single Elmorean could wrap his or her finger around how it happened or why it happened. It just did. Sometimes, that's how the world works. It wasn't always fair._

 _A famine unlike any other swept across all of Elmore. Livestock in every farm in and around town had fallen ill, and crops swiftly withered and perished amidst the unforgiving conditions. There had been a huge shortage on food during this time as a result, and every Elmorean in this scene was shown walking in unsightly, sluggish traipses, moaning and groaning as they sought out something, anything they could sink their teeth into. The town had never known such a state of deprivation before._

 _It might have had something to do with the blistering drought that took hold of not only Elmore, but the rest of the country. How badly the other cities and towns were affected, and if it was any worse than Elmore's predicament, was anyone's guess._

 _With how scarce food was at the time, it was a miracle to even be able of affording a meal for one, let alone an entire family. It had come to a point where every business and supplier had no choice but to enforce a premium on top of the usual costs for food. Like a parasite, the inflated prices wormed their way and left even the financially wealthy in dire straits while taking away what little anyone of lower standing already had._

 _Every Elmorean was subject to this blight. From the poorest of the poor to the working class to the middle-class to the socially elite, none were exempt._

 _Not even Remy and his family were safe. One certain image amidst this collection saw the family gathered at the table, only for Bernard and Catherine to silently exchange words. Judging by her unwavering frown and his defeated gaze, their conversation was not going anywhere bright._

 _Yet, in the midst of all this tribulation, Remy held on to his hope, his faith in everything sorting itself out. The tiny ember that burned in his chest would not be put out on his watch._

 _To keep that fire in him burning, he visited the mines on a regular basis, supplying himself with one of the oil lamps his father brought to work. He entered the chasm many times, believing that he could find some way to take his family out of these trying times, or at least help them survive._

 _After his tenth or so trip, he thought to himself that maybe there was more to this mineral than what he had originally thought. That maybe it would do him more good than just bringing in a hefty sum of money._

" _At least, that's what I thought, anyway," said Remy pensively, tilting his head downwards at a slight angle. Going back to where he had left off afterwards._

 _He had immediately raced back to his home to deliver the news to his family and hopefully to turn their dire straits around. At the living room, he described to his mother and father his findings in the mine, painting as best and clear a picture of the chasm as he could, excitedly speaking each word._

" _You did_ what _?" shouted Bernard, recalling the minecart incident freshly. "You disobeyed me? Again?"_

" _I only wanted to help," Remy pleaded, his zeal wavering and diminishing._

" _By what, giving all of us heart attacks? I specifically told you not to go back there. Do you know how this makes me feel? Do you?"_

" _Dad, I…" Remy quivered and eyed his mother, his little sister and his baby brother for solace, but did not find it in any of them. "I had a good reason. I saw something in the mine. Something amazing. A solution to all our problems."_

" _Oh, give me a break. It's bad enough that you went out there behind my back, but now you're telling me it's because of some wild goose chase?" Bernard refused to be outdone by his own son, his voice escalating._

" _It's not a wild goose chase. I really did see see someth—ugh! At least let me explain. It was in that path you hardly go to. The one where Julia and I had the accident. There_ is _something there, I swear."_

 _Bernard, his patience tried by his son's seemingly ridiculous account, palmed his face and groaned. He didn't recall either him or Catherine teaching their children to lash back at their parents, but the mere audacity of considering doing that was a step too far._

 _Sometimes, there was nothing else he could do but put his foot down. As hard as it was for both him and his wife, it was necessary to hold the family together. To keep the chaos from tearing open a rift between them. From widening the rift already torn by the famine._

" _Son, I want you to listen to me and listen to me carefully," he said, simmering down. Softening his voice. "My colleagues and I have been down that path you're talking about many times. There is nothing there. I don't know where you're picking up this crazy theory from, but I'm telling you for your own good: drop it."_

" _Please listen to your father, sweetie. These times are hard enough as they are, we don't need you hurting yourself again," Catherine included, nuzzling little baby Monty close to her bosom._

 _Remy's fists trembled in anger, and his face quivering as his eyes were accumulating tears. He had called his father a bonehead on many an instance. Most of the time, he only said it in jest. As a joke that he cracked behind his back._

 _But that day, that afternoon. If he had called him that right then and there, he would have been speaking from the heart. Bernard was as stubborn as he was doting, adamant about whatever stance he took, whatever perspective he saw the world from._

 _Catherine was no better, mirroring Bernard's every move and word like a dog heeds its master's call. She had her children's best interest in mind and always put them at the top of her priorities, but he hoped that she'd sometimes speak for herself instead of for her husband._

" _Where are you going?" Bernard demanded as his son rose from his chair and stamped his feet along the floor._

" _Away from you," replied Remy, who stormed out of the living room in an enraged, tear-ridden huff. "You obviously aren't going to listen, so I won't waste any more of my breath on you!"_

" _Remy. Remy! Get back here!" Bernard screamed, the last sliver of his patience depleted._

 _Gumball took in the entire scene and digested it, a bitter pill to swallow. Remy flashed a ghost of a smile at the blue feline, as if to advise him not to feel sorry._

 _As the human boy reflected on the memory a little more, a little closer, a realization dawned in the back of his mind. For all the times he called his father a stubborn nincompoop of a man, it only occurred to him now that so was he. He himself was known for being headstrong, stubborn. For looking through a different set of tinted lenses. Like father, like son, he supposed._

 _This was not the first time he had been this stubborn and hard-headed. After all, it was because of these qualities that he and Julia almost lost their lives in the mines. In a way, it was also because of them that he and Gumball were where they are right now._

 _The upcoming sequences weren't much to speak of. It was more of Remy paying the chasm a visit. Apart from searcing for a way to aid his family, these trips had turned into a deliberate attempt to spite Bernard. After what was said that afternoon, it was only fair that he returned the favor a hundred, a thousand, a million times over._

 _Rainclouds reared their ugly heads around the time of the fifth trip. The downpours were tremendous, but weren't enough to keep Remy away. They drenched him from top to bottom, causing his clothes to cling to his skin._ It was going to be worth it _, he reminded himself, the thought his primary driving force._

 _The last in this gallery of slideshows took place elsewhere from the mine. Gumball viewed the scene intently, not veering his eyes away nor did he want to, while Remy dreaded it with every fiber of his existence._

 _Elmore General Hospital. Its front desk, to be more specific. Remy's entire family was deep in conversation with the receptionist, Catherine burying her face into her hands, crying buckets. Julia sat on one of the benches, devastated beyond description. Only ten seconds had elapsed, and Gumball too was beginning to dread, to dislike, what direction this was going._

 _Inside the door to the right of the desk lied parallel rows of beds, each one occupied by a patient, either quiet or making noises. At the very end of the left row was Remy, falling into the former category. Sound asleep wearing a mask of tranquility. Underlying that peaceful face of his was a most frightful thing, especially to the one afflicted with it._

 _It was known by one word._

 _Pneumonia._

" _What?" Gumball whispered, the dread in him coming full circle and manifesting in his tone. In the devastation on his face. He knew the word, but if he could, he'd erase it from his vocabulary along with its meaning._

" _That's what the doctors said," Remy elaborated, glancing at his old sleeping self. A sacred sensation taking hold of his body. "According to them, my left lung had been put into too much strain and that it was infected. A combination of bacteria and viruses. Usually, it blows over after two or three weeks, but I wasn't that lucky. They told me that I—"_

 _A crescendo of footsteps intervened and delayed Remy from finishing. They belonged to Julia, who was running past the beds and darted to where Remy was sleeping. For the longest time, she stared at her brother with misty eyes, on the verge of letting her tears pour out._

 _Then, with a pained gasp, she buried her face into his blanket and wailed._

" _Remy," the girl lamented, her tears soaking the plain white fabric. She lifted her face from the sheets and added, "I know you can hear me. Wake up. Please wake up. You can't die, you just can't."_

 _Remy turned away, unable to bear the sight of his little sister in tears._

" _I'm sorry, okay? I'm so sorry," Julia pleaded, her cheeks wet from her ceaseless crying. She repeated the apology twice more before letting her sobs get the best of her._

 _Gumball's mouth hung ajar. Poor girl. It was one thing after another for her. The recent accident with the minecart had left her a changed person, and seeing her brother on the border between life and death was shattering her._

" _What is she apologizing for?" the blue feline boy queried._

" _For not helping me tell my dad about the chasm. For leaving me hanging," answered Remy, having had enough of the scene and fast-forwarding to the picture that Gumball presented to him._

 _They were in front of the grave, of the spotlighted tombstone, and next to them were Bernard, Catherine, Julia and Monty, all but the latter in mourning._

 _Lightning struck down, illuminating a once unseen passage on the tombstone._

'Remy: a beloved little boy, the best of his kind.'

 _Remy's only remark to this vivid image was, "That's how the story goes."_

 _That was the final straw for Gumball. The feline gasped and put a paw over his mouth. All this time, he was speaking to an apparition—a remnant. A phantom, a ghost. This 'Remy' had been dead all along. That, however, was the less pressing of his concerns._

 _He was always aware that every little thing in this world was part of a bigger picture, a grander scheme. The picture was only partially revealed—by his estimation, half of it at best—but it seemed like all of it to him. The more the picture was unraveled, the harsher this was becoming._

" _Remy?" said Gumball, speaking the name solemnly. "Is this why you didn't want anyone else to know?"_

 _Gingerly he nodded his head, his back turned to the scene. To his family. He had said all that he needed to say. Matters such as this took a tremendous toll on him that he made it a point to speak of them only once each day. He made it a point to never speak of it only when it was necessary. Such as right now._

 _Sensing the toil in his friend, Gumball sauntered in front of him and clamped his hand in his two paws. The two locked eyes, and he cracked a gentle, tender smile. One of empathy, one of sympathy._

 _One of gratitude._

" _My lips are sealed," spoke Gumball._

 _Once again, Remy was quiet and merely nodded to express his thanks. He then shattered the silence with a question. "Do you want to go somewhere else?"_

" _I'm good for now. If you don't mind, I'd like to call it a night."_

" _Sure. Good night."_

 _From his open palm, Remy summoned a sphere of light that encompassed them._

Gumball rose from his bed, rubbing the crust from his eye. The images projected in his mind fresh as the morning air.

Sleeping was going to be out of the question for quite some time, so he left his bed and exited the room, gently closing the door behind him…

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**  
_

 _So what do you guys think about my original character, Remy?_


	13. Tried and true

_**The Beginning**_

 **by Christopher R. Martin  
**

Chapter 13 – Tried and true

* * *

Nicole drummed her fingers along the dining table as her eyes skimmed across the contents of her textbook. She released a pen she had been fiddling with in her right paw for the last two minutes and brought a highlighter across a sentence on the page. With her other paw, she took a sip from her glass, but all she felt were two cubes of ice.

She rose from her seat and proceeded to the kitchen, where she would pour another helping of calvados into her glass. As soon as she closed the refrigerator door behind her, the next thing she saw was the drowsy, baggy-eyed countenance of her first-born son.

"Gumball?" asked the middle-aged cat, squinting her eyes for a short while before opening them fully. "What are you doing up this late?"

Gumball pulled his arms out wide and yawned loud and hard. "Can't sleep," said the feline boy. After what he just witnessed not long ago, it was safe to say that sleeping had now become impossible for tonight.

Nicole, in an act of empathy for her son's plight, helped him to a glass of water on the rocks and ushered him to the table, her bottle of brandy in hand. She parted her study material to the side in the event that Gumball would eventually fall asleep. When she asked him for anything else, all she gained was a ginger shake of his head.

Likewise, Gumball did the same after being asked to say what was on his mind. He slumped on the table hoping that his fatique would carry him away once more, as much of a stretch as that was. His eyes stayed fixed on his mother as she continued to toil away at her college work, hastily jotting down words and sentences on her notebook and tracing her finger along whatever page of her textbook she was on. Written on the spine was the title – _Biology: 101 things you need to know to get you started_.

Only one month had passed since Nicole enrolled at her college, and already she was slaving away at her books. For her, this was her way of correcting the mistakes she had made when she was younger. She had told her children about it. About having married at the age of nineteen and how her father—the grandfather on her side of the family—was so expressly heartbroken that neither of them spoke to each other for an entire month. About being forced to drop out of college as a result in order to care for her family.

She recalled lashing out to her father once the silence had finally been broken. She might have said something along the lines of 'this is my decision, not yours' or 'instead of being a complete sourpuss, why don't you be happy that you're about to be a grandfather very soon'. But while she had her valid points, her father had just as much of them, if not more. Ready to be flung at her like a magazine filled with bullets.

Looking back at it now, maybe neither of them were really in the right, nor were they in the wrong. Had her father still been alive, she would have asked him for his forgiveness. She also knew that he wanted the same thing himself.

Relishing in her reminiscence, Nicole passed a glance at her son, whose face was buried in his one arm. Her shortcomings aside, at lease she was assured that she had gained something truly wonderful. Something that she could proudly call her own.

But there were times where she wished that her role as a parent was simple. That there was a be-all-end-all instruction manual out there somewhere that could tell her what to do, what to say and how best to approach any situation.

She was wishing this now.

"Mom?" Gumball started, tilting his drowsy face up to his mother. "Can I ask you something?"

"What is it, sweetie?"

Gumball sat up on his chair and mustered the will needed to get his one question out in the open. "Are you happy with where you are in your life?"

"That's a strange question."

"It's just that you're doing all this studying. I'm kinda getting the impression that you want a lot more than what you have right now."

Nicole diverted her eyes from her books and pondered on her son's statement. "I would be lying to you if I were to say otherwise."

"So you're _not_ happy."

"Oh, no, no, no. Don't be mistaken, Gumball. I most certainly am." She resumed with her college work.

"I see…"

For quite some time, a deep silence pervaded the entire house, flittering between mother and son. It sent a chill that settled on both felines' skins, on both their furs.

Between the two of them, Nicole felt it moreso than Gumball. She hoped to abandon the topic, having already visited it not a moment ago. But now that her son had brought it up, she supposed there was no escaping it.

She set her pen down on the table one more time and closed her textbook and notebook. She wore the most comfortable smile she could, one that was appropriate for a scenario such as this one.

"I can't say that I don't have my regrets, though," she started, trusting in her capacity as a parent. As a living, breathing person. "I'm far from perfect. Then again, I don't know anyone out there who is. If I _were_ perfect, I would have had a diploma or a degree hanging on that wall"—she pointed a finger at the wall with family portraits hanging here and there—"You should count yourself lucky, Gumball. You're still only twelve years old, don't let it go to waste. The older you get, the more complicated things are going to become."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"A couple of things. As you become an adult, it gets harder to try and change the way you live." Nicole sipped her alcoholic drink as the words spilled from her mouth. "And when you make a mistake, you really have to own up to it. No excuses. I don't think I've told you this, but I actually encourage you and your brother and sister to make mistakes of your own while you still can. That way the three of you can learn from them, and they can shape the way you live your life in the future. Us grown-ups don't get that luxury anymore."

While Nicole poured her third and final helping for the night, Gumball folded his arms and lowered his head at an angle. He pondered on the wisdom imparted to him by his mother. He fully understood everything she had just talked about. Making mistakes and learning from them, recovering from them. That was how life has always worked.

But the part about adults not being able to learn from their mistakes didn't seem as true to him as it did to her. Otherwise, she would not be here, buried knee-deep in books, papers and stationery.

As much as he knew all of this, there was still one little detail that eluded him.

"Sorry, I have no idea where any of this is going," Gumball admitted with a shake of his head. "What does this have anything to do with you being happy?"

Stirring her glass of calvados as she heeded Gumball's words just now, Nicole chuckled to herself. "Of course I'm happy, Gumball," she began, her thoughts swirling like her drink. With her other paw, she furrowed her son's head into a bush-like jumble. "And I guess what I'm also trying to say is…everyone deserves to be happy. I mean everyone, even those we don't like. There will be bumps down the road, but that just makes it all the more worthwhile. At least you'll feel assured to know that you've earned your happiness."

Nicole loathed to admit it, but the most obvious example she could think of in her mind was none other than Miss Lucy Simian. Yes. Even someone of such level of cruelty deserved at least a chance at true happiness.

Like a damp cloth or sponge, Gumball mind soaked up every last word his mother had to say. One final question lingered in the corner of his mind, and it was going to take every ounce of him to ask her.

"What if…" Gumball attempted, biting his tongue before he could finish. Willing himself to get the rest of the sentence out there. "What about this? Say that a person cares about another person so much that he's willing to give himself up just so that other person can be happy."

"What do you mean by 'give himself up'?" Nicole set her glass down on the table, already weary of the direction their conversation was going to go.

"I mean he…" Once again, Gumball hesitated. His cheeks puffed as he bit his lip in his mouth and searched for the right words to say. He had to wonder when was the last time his family sat down and talked about something so heavy. Something so burdensome, so taxing. Not to mention that Remy might be listening in on them, for all he knew. Still, there was no turning back now. "He really, and I mean _really_ ,cares about this other person so much that he'd go so far as to give up his life. What do you have to say that?"

Nicole bit the inside of her mouth and clamped her thumb with her lips. She was, like her son, at a loss. Uncertain of when they last had a discussion like this. Taken aback by how he chose now of all the possible instances to bring this matter up. The closest thing to a conversation like this that arose in her was mentioning her father living up to one hundred and two years, but that was about it. Nothing else sprung to mind.

She leaned on her backrest and clamped on her thumb harder, feeling like a cornered rat. Death was one of those accursed subject matters that any parent dreaded talking about with their children, among the likes of 'the birds and the bees', politics, religion, and other such complications. It was difficult to talk about because of the many different perspectives there were on it. Because they weren't exactly the most comfortable things to bring up, especially with a child, let alone one's own son or daughter.

Sooner or later, she would have no choice but to explain it as best as she could. What really took her by surprise was that here, 'sooner' more or less meant 'right now'.

Putting her faith in her parental instincts, Nicole nodded her head and released her thumb from her mouth.

"That's taking it a little too far, don't you think?" she said frankly, taking a fistful sip of her calvados. "Like I said, happiness is not something you can force on other people. They have to want to be happy. This person you're talking about, it's the same thing with him. I'm sure he means well, but I think he needs to understand that being happy is a choice. And by doing something this drastic, they might end up hurting the person he cares about rather than what he had in mind in the first place. Is he, by any chance, someone you know?"

Gumball firmly shook his head and said not a word. He diverted his eyes away from his mother, his expression wry and unstable.

Creases were arising on his brow as he embedded his mother's words deep into his consciousness. His heart and mind were heavy to the point where his body could just give way to both of them. He was surprised that the chair he was sitting on hadn't collapsed under the sheer weight that encumbered him.

Of course it was to be expected when a matter such as death was involved. He _was_ the one who wanted to know after all, but it didn't make it any less draining. Every second spent pondering on it was an ounce of energy robbed from his very foundation.

Now that he thought about it, he had no complaints at all about having this discussion. If anything, if his mother's word was anything to go by—that people have a harder time changing their lifestyle the older they get—it was probably for the best that he learned of it now instead of much later. That way he could save himself an immense amount of heartache down the road.

His eyes drooping from the mental exertion, Gumball stood from his chair and yawned. He shined a tender smile at his mother, who was now on the brink of intoxication from finishing her most recent calvados glass.

"I think I'm going to bed now," said the young feline with a yawn.

"Alright, dear," Nicole laughed, the last drop of her drink pouring down into her gullet. "I hope I've answered your question well."

"Don't worry, you have." Gumball mirrored his mother's light smile.

"Oh, and Gumball."

"Yeah?"

"Try not to think about this sort of stuff too much, okay?"

"Got it." Gumball reaffirmed his answer with a nod of his head. "Love you, Mom."

"Love you too, dear."

With a kiss upon his mother's cheek, Gumball left the dining room and retired for the night. On his way to his room, the smile on his face was starting to melt away.

Despite the answer he had given her, he couldn't make any promises. As far as a matter such as this was concerned, once it made its way into one's mind, getting it out was next to impossible.

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:_**

 _Just trying my hand at creating a mother-son moment. If there's one thing I love about the show, it's the closeness between Nicole and Gumball in spite of the nonsense that happens between them.  
_

 _And sorry for not updating in so long. I've been busy with a few things, such as entering a fan fic competition here in Australia and jump-starting my brand new YouTube channel, which you can check out right here:_

 _channel/UCrEyNe7lUaT4ARz8tomuyPg_


	14. Sooner or later

_**The Beginning**_

 **by Christopher R. Martin**

Chapter 14 – Sooner or later

* * *

"Alright, everyone. Time to hand in your assignments. No questions asked."

The end of another school week had come for all of Elmore Junior High. Fridays were supposed to be the most exciting part of the week, but there were times where such was not the case.

Like right now…

The classroom was split half and half between those who groaned and those who complied without any complaints. Gumball fell into the latter category, handing over his worksheet to the coach in as casual a manner as he could. Upon sitting back down at his desk, he felt Penny gazing at him over to his left.

"You look rather confident, Gumball," the shapeshifter remarked, staying completely still while her classmates marched to the front of the room to submit their assignments. "Did you get that essay done?"

Gumball planted his head against his paws and crossed his legs underneath the desk. "You bet I did," was his calm, collected reply.

"I see," said Penny, resting her head on her hand. "Tell me, what _did_ you write for your essay?"

"That's a secret," Gumball teased as the two of them sometimes did to one another. "I'm afraid you're going to have to wait before you can find out."

Penny chuckled and shook her head. The last time either of them said those words, which was a month ago, give or take, it was her who did it. It was her who had a secret to hide.

And what a secret it turned out to be.

His stunned expression was as vivid as when she first saw it. She could recall perfectly how his jaw dropped when he opened the door. How his eyes were aglow like a star in the night sky as they fell upon every nook and cranny. From the scented candles to the chocolate fountain to the satin sofa to the faux bearskin rug to the fermented apple juice.

A perfect recreation of his original lakeside lounge idea. That's what it was, minus the lakeside part. And the 'nearly choking to death from a twenty-five dollar ring' part. And the antifreeze.

To say that it took his breath away would be such an understatement. If it could sweep Gumball off of his feet, then she was sure that she did a bang-up job. If it could invoke such an overwhelming reception from him, then it meant that he was more than just breathless.

As impulsive as Gumball could be, and as disconcerting as his attempts at courtship could sometimes get, she was nevertheless endeared by his actions. They have only proven time and again his affection, his devotion to her. The least she could do was repay him a hundred times over.

Gumball shifted his eyes to the front of the classroom and glanced downwards. The smile on his face was slowly slipping away. His pocket has not shone for the past few days. He had planned to finally introduce Remy and Penny to each other. It appeared that the long overdue formal introduction would remain in the backburner.

Moreover, he wondered what he was doing inside the rock in the meantime. He couldn't help but ask himself the same question over and over again, and it has gone on ever since that night.

It never occurred to him that his human friend's sunny disposition was more than what it seemed. Granted, there were people like that in the world who used fake smiles and faux laughters to shield their deepest, darkest, innermost secrets from those around them, but Remy was the last person the blue cat would expect this from.

When he thought about it, the two of them were alike in more regards than one.

That was most likely one of the big reasons the venture to the graveyard took him by surprise. Another reason was the thought that all this time, Elmore's existence was because of one boy's fate…

* * *

If there was ever one thing the entirety of Elmore Junior High's student body unanimously agreed on, it was the fact that recess was too short. It was a perfect opportunity to blow off some steam and to get the blood flowing in one's veins. No other time of day was more suited.

The students all partook in some activity or another during this allotted half-hour. On one end of the schoolyard, Teri, Masami, Banana Joe and Tobias were enjoying themselves a game of hackey-sack. Masami in particular astonished her peers with how dexterous she was with her once-concealed pair of legs.

On another part, Leslie, Idaho, Juke and Hector tossed around a hackeysack back and forth between the three of them. Hector's size brought about some complications, however, as he often bumped into his classmates and even ended up kicking the sack one or two or thirty acres too far from the school. Retrieving it was no issue at all, but it did waste precious 'recess time'.

At the center of the schoolyard were Gumball and Darwin accompanied by Penny and Jamie respectively – a gathering that has left the former scratching his head. It was an idea put together by the orange fish boy and subsequently met with ambiguous responses.

But even the unlikeliest of groups can forge the strongest of bonds.

"Not bad, Fitzgerald," Jamie applauded, praising the shapeshifter for showing off her newest cheerleading routine. "But can you do this?" Taking a step back, she proceeded to cartwheel, somersault and front flip in one impressive display that left the other three agape. She took a bow in front of her peers, relishing in the adoration they were giving her.

Penny, recouping from her reverie, drew closer to Jamie. "You really should consider giving the cheerleading squad a try," she offered, clapping her hands. "If memory serves me, we have an open slot that needs to be filled."

Jamie caught her breath and wiped a small layer of sweat from her brow before she could give the shapeshifter a concrete response. Standing upright, she looked Penny in the eye, but diverted her gaze and rubbed her arm nervously.

"Um, thanks for the offer, I guess," said the troglodyte, her words accentuated by her wry expression.

"But it's just not your style, is it?" said Penny, somewhat anticipating the statement before it could be spoken.

Jamie furiously shook her head, as if in denial. "I didn't say that. I mean…ugh. How do I put it?"

Resting her head on her knuckles, Penny contemplated, immersing herself in her thoughts for quite some time. There was no need to try and predict what Jamie had in mind. It was all too obvious in the uncertainty she was conducting herself with at this moment.

With the reputation she had built up for herself over the years, it wasn't surprising that her classmates would feel just a little bit intimidated by her presence. Alright, _very_ intimidated. Honestly, what person out there would easily, without a shadow of a doubt, associate themselves with a hoodlum? A ne'er-do-well? A bully? That's just the way it goes.

Her standing with her classmates aside, Jamie was willing to give it a chance. And Penny saw the effort that she was putting into being a more sociable person, even if it was just through Darwin's persuasion.

Putting these thoughts to heart, Penny perched an arm around Jamie's shoulders. She leaned her head forward and gazed into her face.

"Tell you what," said Penny, wearing as good a smile as she could fit on her face. "Why don't you leave this to me? I'll put in a good word for you."

"Um, you do realize that my mom's the coach, right?" Jamie asked in return, furrowing her brow. "I don't think that'll be necessary."

Penny giggled. "I mean I'll put in a good word for you to the rest of the squad. I'm sure they'll be more than happy to have you on-board."

Jamie cracked a ghost of a smile. For all she knew, the squad would be terrified rather than happy about her joining them. She could tell that Penny herself was also doubtful as she told her this. Regardless, she appreciated the offer. She appreciated the attempt on Penny's part. It was so much more than she could ask for.

Over on the sidelines, Gumball and Darwin looked on at their respective darlings whilst partaking in their lunch on the metal benches. The latter was especially enraptured by Penny and Jamie getting along just fine, which caused him to take even more time with his sandwich.

"I knew it would work. See, Gumball? I told you," Darwin gloated, speaking the last three words in sing-song. Pointing a fin at his feline brother.

"No, you didn't," Gumball countered, taking a bite of his sandwich afterwards.

"Oh, right." It was the last thing Darwin spoke before returning to his own sandwich.

Silence swept across the Watterson brothers. As he neared the end of his food, Gumball spoke in his mind, hoping they would come across to the Marvelite stone in his pocket. As expected however, there was no response. He wondered how long Remy was going to stay in his little limbo.

The silence was broken with Gumball rising from his seat and slapping the bread crumbs off of his paws. He cat descended down the benches and fished for the Marvelite in his pants, gazing at the stone for the longest time before putting it back in. If he couldn't bring him out of his statis, then perhaps someone else could. He made his way to where Penny and Jamie stood.

"So," the blue cat began, putting on a sleek, welcoming smile. "What are you two talking about?" Without a second thought, he put his arms over Penny's and Jamie's shoulders, coming in between them and drawing them close to him. "A little girl talk? A secret, maybe? That's alright, I understand. I'll give you two your personal space."

Not a second later after saying that, he took his arms off both girls whilst still maintaining his grin. He then glanced at his right pocket, hoping that his little act, his attempted conversation, would get Remy's attention. That he would pop out with every intention of making Penny's acquaintance. Nothing.

"Actually, Jamie here's going to try out for the cheerleading squad," answered Penny, giving her new friend an encouraging pat on the shoulder. "Isn't that right, Jamie?"

The question had earned the shapeshifter a nervous chuckle from her new friend and a quirked eyebrow from Gumball. His brow furrowed, he looked at Jamie in a scrutinizing fashion. At first, he thought Penny was joking, but immediately took note that such was not the case.

Laughter dared to leave his lips only to be stifled. Gumball brought a paw over his mouth, his cheeks bulging bigger and bigger like an overinflated balloon.

"You? In the cheerleading squad?" said Gumball, tears welling in his eyes. "That is the most ridiculous thing I think I've ever heard." Forgetting exactly who it was he was speaking to, he finally released every ounce of pent-up laughter in his lungs.

Jamie was, for lack of a better word, unamused. She merely stood still and flashed a tepid stare at the blue cat, her message sinking into his head eventually. If she could grab him by the neck and throttle him, she would, but she had already gained Penny's favor, something she couldn't afford to lose. Besides, she didn't need a repeat of that…incident that she refused to speak of.

Not that Gumball wanted to hurt her anyway, or _could_ ,for that matter. Either way, he saw the look in the troglodyte's eyes and was quick to cease his laughing, clearing the phlegm from his throat.

"And it just might work out," said the feline child, letting out one last nervous laughter. "You never know."

"Gee, thanks," said Jamie dryly, eyes narrowed and arms folded.

 _Phew_ , Gumball spoke inside, breathing easily. Barely dodging a bullet. One more glance at his Marvelite, and he came to realize that Remy wasn't going to come out any time soon.

* * *

The doorbell in the Watterson home rang three times in the space of twenty seconds. Gumball scrambled down the staircase, shouting "I got it," to the rest of the house along the way. Twice more the doorbell tolled, exasperating him even more.

"Alright, I'm coming, I'm coming," the blue cat answered, nearing the bottom floor.

Waiting on the other side was a slender, elderly man shaped like a paintbrush, sporting a suit and bowtie, the bristles atop his head acting as his hair. As the door swung open for him, he gave the feline a courteous bow and the best smile that he had to offer.

Gumball shot a squint at the man. It was a face that he recognized all too well. A face that he did not expect to find at his doorstep.

"Ah. It appears I've made it to the right place," the paintbrush mentioned, chuckling to himself.

"Mister Emery," said Gumball tentatively, leaning against the doorframe. "What are you doing here?"

"Why, I came to check up on you, of course. Oh, and if you're wondering how I managed to find my way here, I asked the principal of your school for directions. You need not worry, I told him I was on official business."

By 'official business', Gumball assumed that it was about the Marvelite piece that Emery had given him during the field trip. He didn't once think that a tiny little rock would qualify as 'official business'. Why he couldn't just be straightforward with him, he didn't know.

It made him wonder if this man had a one-track mind. If he had some sort of unhealthy obsession. Either one of them was plausible, especially considering that he had come all this way just to speak to him. Not only that, but he could have easily arranged for someone else to come on his behalf.

An unease crept underneath Gumball's skin, his fur, as he delved on this deeper. The sooner he could get this man to leave, the better.

"Do we really have to talk about this now?" asked Gumball following a sigh.

"Yes!" was Emery's response. He uttered it so quickly, so loudly, that he might have foreseen the question.

Surprised from the hastily-spoken answer, Gumball staggered in place for a solid five seconds before regaining his composure and closing the door behind him. He then led the aged paintbrush down the stairs and to the front lawn, as far enough from his family's earshot as possible.

"Do you have it with you?" asked Emery, clamping his thumb in between his lips.

Following the question, Gumball pulled the stone from his pocket and presented it to the jittery museum curator, who simply stared into it intently.

The sight of the thing never failed to take his breath away. It was like beholding some great event as it took place, such as the birth of a newborn baby or the blossoming of a beautiful flower. The rapture was otherworldly. It was indescribable.

After his brief inspection, Emery stood up and turned his attention to Gumball, who promptly returned the stone in his pocket. Then, from the inner pocket of his suit, he took out a notepad and a pen.

"What have you found?"

Before Gumball could utter his reply, a warmth disseminated from his leg to every other part of his body. The familiar voice of his human friend rang in his mind.

" _Don't tell him anything,"_ beseeched Remy, his tone somber.

" _What?"_

" _Just don't. I'm begging you, Gumball."_

" _What should I say, then?"_

" _I don't know, come up with something good."_

"Well?" an excitable, impatient Emery prodded, his hand trembling, as did the pen it was holding.

His teeth clenched and gritting like a saw, Gumball's face went through all sorts of contortions as he tried to formulate a sentence, a phrase. Anything that Emery could buy. It had taken longer than was necessary, but he finally arrived at something.

"Let's just say that it's not as simple as you think it is," told the young blue feline, stilling his nerves and letting each breath pass in and out every orifice.

For a while, Emery pondered on Gumball's answer, his mind soaking up each word, each syllable. His restless hand was quick to jot the whole sentence down on the blank page of his notepad. Word for word. His eyes then widened to the size of tennis balls, a window into his sparked fascination.

"And?"

Once again, Gumball released a groan. When he first met this man face to face, he took him to be eccentric, yet still approachable. But now he was convinced that there was more to him than just his child-like enthusiasm and his contagious smile. That perhaps they were nothing more but a front belying even more layers of depth.

That he was something else entirely.

What that 'something else' was, he wasn't keen on finding out.

Gumball scoured his mind for a good response, but his search yielded nothing. The more that the seconds elapsed, the thinner Emery's patience wore, evident in his quickened jitters.

"That's all I've got to say," said Gumball after holding his breath. "Now if you don't mind, I'd like to ask you to leave."

The last phrase was all it took to get Emery to settle down. It wasn't the response he expected. Elmore's greatest mystery was about to be unraveled. He felt it at the tip of his fingers.

Refusing to be swayed by a minor setback, he flashed a small grin at Gumball and nodded his head in a curtly manner, a gesture that made the blue cat's foundation quake. He still had plenty of time. One way or another, he would be paid his dues.

"Very well," the paintbrush spoke, clasping one hand over the other. "Thank you for your time, Gumball. I shall be back again next week to check on your discoveries. Farewell."

With a gentlemanly bow, Emery took his leave, the sun just about to set. Gumball watched from behind as the distance between him and the paintbrush grew until he was but a mere silhouette.

He sighed, containing his rattled nerves. Secretly wishing that he wouldn't have to come across the man ever again. Gazing at the sunset for one whole minute, he then traced his steps back to his house, tucking his paws in his pants.

" _Thank you, Gumball,"_ Remy said, speaking like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

Gumball kept quiet as he walked through the front door, climbed the stairs and entered his room. It wasn't until the door was shut and he was lying flat on the bottom bunk that he addressed the human boy in his crystalline confinement

" _Y'know, people are going to find out sooner or later,"_ the feline explained.

" _I know. No harm in me trying to keep them in the dark just a little longer, right?"_

" _Why are you doing this?"_ Gumball crossed his legs and closed his eyes, his inhales and exhales sounding at one continuous interval.

Within the first ten to fifteen seconds of him asking that, no voice was there to reply to his query. Gumball had thought that Remy had resigned to his solitude already, until the boy's stark change in his tone of voice proved him wrong.

" _Do you know the difference between you and Emery and a lot of other people here in Elmore?"_ the human asked, a much different person from the lively, outgoing child the first time he showed himself to his cat friend.

" _What?"_ Gumball rolled to his side, dreading the answer he was about to get.

" _Trust."_

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:  
_**

 _Sorry for the delayed updates as of late. Between looking for work and jumpstarting my YouTube profession, I have a lot on my plate these days. Speaking of which_

 **Gratuitous Plug** **Alert**

 _For those of you who don't know, I have a brand new YouTube channel. It's small as of now, but I hope to amass a following. If it's no trouble for you guys, I'd really appreciate it if you check the channel out at:_

 _https (: / /) (www) . you-tube (dotcom) (/) channel (/) UCrEyNe7lUaT4ARz8tomuyPg_

 _And don't forget to like, comment, subscribe, as well as letting me know in your review of this story what you think of the channel._

 _Thanks a lot._

 _\- Christopher R. Martin_


	15. Inheritance

_**The Beginning**_

 **by Christopher R. Martin  
**

Chapter 15 – Inheritance

* * *

Gumball reclined on the windowpane as his eyelids gave in to the weight and sealed closed, expecting to arrive at his destination shortly. The bus ride was now clocking in at—what was it, twenty minutes? Half an hour?—it was hard to tell from the lack of clocks or watches. All he had as an indication was the fatigue that was catching up to him.

That wasn't even putting into consideration the several stops that had been made so far in this trip. In roughly three to five minutes, the bus would stop so that passengers could get on and off. And each one of those instances was the same: the driver, Larry Needlemeyer, bade the departing passengers his goodbyes whilst bidding new ones hello.

As for the passengers, they were always different from the last in every way conceivable. From their answer to Larry's greetings to the way they conducted themselves to how they treated each other. Gumball's mother, Nicole, always stressed the idea of accepting everything in their entirety, both the good and the bad, and all else in between. Somehow, it kind of went hand in hand with her advice of treating other people the way one would want to be treated.

Gumball muttered a slight groan. If only doing it came as easily as saying it. Between the five passengers that sat beside him, he couldn't decide which of them was the worst. Was it the portly dude who munched and crunched on his bag of chips? Was it the mother with the baby that constantly wailed and almost pierced his eardrums? Or was it the two nerds constantly rambling about their board game?

It was hard to tell.

This bus couldn't get to where he wanted to be even if Larry floored it.

Fifteen more minutes fleeted past, and the bus came to yet another stop. Gumball awakened to a now barren mode of public transport, Larry looking over his shoulder with sheer disapproval. Nothing that the young cat wasn't used to by now.

"Last stop, Gumball. Time for you to get off," said Larry, his eyes narrowed and tepid.

Stretching his arms, Gumball made his way from the seat to the front of the bus, where Larry continued to shoot his sleepy-looking stare.

"Really appreciate it, Laurence," said Gumball casually, winking at the boulder-headed bus driver.

"Don't call me that," Larry replied, not allowing himself to acknowledge a Watterson as more than an acquaintance.

He leaned on his steering wheel and sighed in relief, simply glad that the whole bus ride had gone without a hitch. The name Watterson was usually synonymous with disaster, but no such thing happened today. It was too good to be true. Too good. It had to be the fates smiling down on him for once. Or a dream. Or perhaps, this family was more than what he had mistaken them for.

A bewildered Gumball watched on as Larry's face stayed buried in the steering wheel, unsure what to make of it.

"O…kay?" he stated plainly and went on his way, Larry doing the same and driving to the distance.

On the side of the street, Gumball dug out a folded piece of paper in his pocket and unfurled it slowly, revealing a map that he had printed from his computer the other day. A map that Remy had provided him through the force of his own will. It led to the old mines, which nowadays were all but forgotten. Those who brought them up were usually the elderly, who may or may not have worked there before.

Gumball started walking to where the mines were, following the map to the letter. Taking one turn after another, one path after another. Going from one street to the next. The map showed a bird's-eye view of Elmore, which made navigating it a tricky affair. That was where Remy came in, prompting the blue feline which path to take and what to be wary of on the way.

After a minute or ten of walking, Gumball reached his destination, and it was exactly as he expected it would be. Desolate, uninhabited, quiet, with not a soul in sight. His voice, his shadow and the occasional bursts of Remy speaking in the back of his head were all the company he had.

Mining tools laid scattered here and there on the uneven, dirt ground. From pickaxes to helmets to minecart wheels. By the looks of the place, no one had set foot in it for a long time.

One would think that with a place that's as rife with danger such as this, the local authorities would prevent anyone from just coming in and out as they pleased. But as far as he could see, there were no barricades, no signs, to keep people away. They must have figured that since these were such remote parts of Elmore already, no one would bother coming here anyway.

They figured right. Until now.

There was only one way into the mines, and Gumball proceeded into it, the darkness embracing him. His steps were shaky, but quickly turned firm once the shine of the Marvelite pierced the pitch black.

Gumball could not help but be bewildered. In practically every corner of this cavern, there was always a vein of some valuable mineral to be found. The colors they gave off amidst the surrounding light was akin to that of a disco ball, except more entrancing. Remy described every vein as Gumball traversed past them. From the ravishing kunzite to the bright red and powerful ruby to the otherworldly olivine, the human boy had the entire place memorized from the back of his hand.

"You sure know your stuff, don't you?" asked Gumball, his lips curving into a smirk.

" _I come here a lot. What'd you expect?"_ Remy cracked back.

Deeper into the mine Gumball strode, and he eventually happened upon a three-way fork, each path engulfed in darkness. For any other person curious—and foolish—enough to pay a visit to these mines, regardless of what path was chosen, it was going to be a leap of faith.

After pondering for some time, Gumball then walked towards the center path, using the tracks to guide him. The further he ventured, the steeper the ground was becoming. With each step he took, he caught a glimpse of a glimmer coming from the very end of the path. Somewhere in all of this darkness, the tracks were going to end. Gumball was stepping daintily now, staying vigilant for that inevitable pit.

There it was. From this height, it appeared to be a ten or twenty-foot drop on the way down. Gumball felt every part of his body lock in place—his joints, his bones, his muscles, his nerves. Remy had to be a very fit kid back when he was alive if he could make it in and out of this enormous chasm as often as he did.

"You gotta be kidding me," the cat moaned, almost out of breath. "How am I supposed to get down there?"

" _Relax, I know the way down there. I've got it memorized,"_ consoled Remy. _"Here, let me show you."_

Remy then explained the path to Gumball, guiding him to each alcove and jump, the blue cat promptly heeding the instructions and doing as told. His scaling of the rocky walls was sloppy to say the least, his feline reflexes keeping him from falling face-first or on his butt. A certain jump at the near end of the climb hadn't turn out especially well, though, as one of the protruding edges had left a scrape on his left arm, causing him to lose his balance upon touching down.

Body tense from the pain, Gumball quickly clutched his arm, breathing laboredly and straining his face. When he pulled his paw away slowly, he spotted a blot of red on his fur and trickles of blood coming from the gash. He winced and diverted his eyes from his wound, forcefully preventing himself from throwing up or passing out.

" _You alright?"_ Remy cried, his echoing voice bouncing all over the cat's mind.

"I should be, yeah," said Gumball tentatively, getting out the last few uneasy breaths before recomposing himself.

" _You sure? Y'know I can just close that wound up for you."_

Amidst his hurting, Gumball cracked the tiniest of smiles. "It's not that big, really. I'll let it get better by itself."

" _Have it your way,"_ the human conceded.

After recuperating from the small mishap, Gumball shook himself calm and set his eyes forward. He then beheld the breathtaking sight that emanated in front of him. If he ever had a picture of heaven in his head, this place would be the closest thing to it.

Here and there, left and right, up and down, lumps, bundles, masses of kaleidoscopic stones stood and hung. Veins of Marvelite, giving a taste of their wonder to anyone who visited a mere glance upon them. The constant humming sounding from these rocks was akin to the knell of a bell: resonant. Combined with their nigh-unending palette of colors, it had a pervasive, resonant effect on Gumball. It was hypnotic. Dream-like. Except, this wasn't a dream. This was reality. It entangled him.

Cautiously he approached one of the clumps, witnessing his reflection on the surface embellished by the glossy finish and the translucent colors. Somehow, being in front of these things imparted a feeling of serenity in Gumball. Not an ounce of strife lingered in his body. His heartbeats thumped with the gentle rhythm of the ocean. His mind was lucid and pure as a cloudless sky. No wonder Remy came to this place many times.

" _Beautiful, isn't it?"_ said Remy.

No word could do justice to this rapture. Gumball simply basked in it, absorbing the scent, the atmosphere. To think that he dismissed this substance as but a useless rock. Now here he was, a believer. His doubts had long since been put to rest, but if they ever stayed with him up to this point, he was certain that he'd be eating his own words right about now.

Gumball explored the chasm, brushing the heel of his paws against the Marvelite clumps. These were warm to the touch, even moreso than the shard in his possession, which itself was already warm.

As he walked from one end of the chasm to another, a single word circled in the corners of his head. That word was 'trust'. Remy said it to him the other day. That what set Gumball apart from Emery, and from other Elmoreans, was the confidence the human boy had put in him. A confidence that was fostered in the days, the weeks, they had known each other.

The musing resonated like a siren humming across a street, and it split Gumball in two. On one hand, he was happy to have earned Remy's favor. But on the other, he had to wonder what the rest of Elmore was to him. If this boy was ready to share bits and pieces of him to another boy his age, then it certainly meant that he could do the same for anyone else.

" _Hey,"_ started Remy, unaware to the workings of the feline's mind. _"I bet you're still wondering how this all works, huh?"_

"Um… Sure," said Gumball tentatively, sighing in relief that his friend hadn't caught on. Either that, or he could read him like a book, but purposefully chose to not bring it up.

" _Alright. Brace yourself,"_ Remy announced, his voice suddenly booming in the chasm, ricocheting from wall to wall like a speeding bullet.

The clumps of Marvelite all over the chasm were now humming their respective notes much more loudly. As the chorus rang, the continuum of colors started shifting at a quickened pace. Gumball acknowledged these as a prompt to shut his eyes and seal his ears. He affirmed his footing, but found it becoming progressively harder as a wave of tremors rattled along the earth beneath his heel.

Rushes of air boomed from every direction, threatening to sweep the blue cat off of his feet. He felt the enormous current tugging at his sweater, his pants and his fur. Before he knew it, he was indeed taken off of his feet, floating in mid-air without going any sort of direction.

Fortunately, it ended as quickly as it began, as did the violent flashes of color and the heavenly harmony. And Gumball made a slow descent.

Or so he thought.

He was still light on his feet. His eyelids gradually parted, and he found himself someplace other than the mines. The space was of a deep black and studded with blinking white dots. Stars, perhaps. Or not. Gumball initially thought the place to be outer space, but realized it couldn't be. If it were, he'd be suffocating right now, and his face would puff up and turn some sickly, saturated color.

This wasn't a dream, either. Gumball was sure of it, anyway. This was as real as it got.

"Welcome," a voice spoke. It came from behind the feline boy and echoed all across the vast, hollow domain.

Recognizing the sound, Gumball about-faced and held his breath as a human boy emerged before his eyes, wearing a buttoned shirt, shorts of the darkest shade of blue and Mary Janes as black as the space around them. Upon his face was a smile that spanned from side to side. A smile that rung a bell in Gumball and elicited a snicker from his lips.

"What is this place?" said Gumball, surprising Remy with the calmness he uttered the question with.

"I guess you could call it my home," answered Remy, putting his hands behind his back. Swaying his body left and right. "Okay, I admit that's too vague. Simply put, this is where everything happens."

"Everything?"

"Yeah. Pretty much. This is where fantasy meets reality."

As the human spoke the line, a clutter of the blinking stars assembled above the palm of his hand. They spun, swirled and danced before stopping to form a much larger, five-pointed star. They repeated the process several more times to form more shapes, from a key to a burning candle to the yin yang symbol to, finally, a rainbow.

Gumball let out a single "heh" at the demonstration, getting some of the picture.

"That _is_ pretty cool, I gotta admit," the blue cat commented plainly, a partially amused smirk on his face.

"What do you mean 'pretty cool'?" asked Remy in what Gumball assumed was a joking manner.

"How do I put it? Hmm… See, it's just that you still haven't shown me how any of this works."

For a while, Remy hesitated on giving an answer, and his smile started to wane. He remembered what Gumball told him the other day. Sooner or later, people were going to learn of his secrets. He would have no other choice but to share himself with the rest of Elmore, and perhaps even the entire world.

He hadn't forgotten about what he told Gumball about trust, either. But he couldn't bring himself to do so. Not for the time being, and maybe not ever. It would be like opening a wound after it had just healed.

Swallowing his pride, Remy exhaled and nodded his head. He had already shared a big piece of himself to his friend, so what was the point in turning back now?

"Looks like you're in luck," the human said with a shaky tongue. "Because that's what I'm going to show you today."

If he was going to tell people of the truth, he would do so one step at a time. One person at a time.

With a snap of Remy's finger, a shaft of light sprung from below in the very center of the realm. Through a little bit of persuasion, Gumball followed his friend into the light, which quickly engulfed both children and just as quickly dissipated to unveil their newest destination.

The place was monochromic, like every dream Gumball has had thus far. He and Remy were back in the mines, back in the depths of the latter's cognition. Once again, the visage featured the human child staring before the clumps of Marvelite. Only this one was a little different from the rest.

Gumball took three approaches to ensure he was hearing things right. He heard Remy's voice loud and clear, but when he looked behind his shoulders, he did not see his friend speaking at all.

Remy gestured to the cat, instructing him to watch and listen.

" _What the…?"_ cried the holographic Remy, wandering his head, holding his hands close to his chest for protection. His feet shuffled every which way as he stayed vigilant. _"Show yourself!_ " The command went unheeded.

The present day Remy moved forward, joining Gumball at his side. Gumball glanced at the human.

"What's going on?" asked the feline, his question met with a prompt "shh!"

Meanwhile, the holographic Remy was rapidly losing grip of his nerves and found himself trembling and then on his knees, helpless as a wild animal caught in a snare.

But his helplessness quickly changed in the blink of an eye as he rose to his feet and approached the nearest Marvelite clump. The human leaned his ear against the stone, closing his eyes and listening intently.

" _You're…in there?"_ he asked, his perplexed expression resembling the one that Gumball was wearing at this instant. The cat initially thought that he had gone off the deep end. "You need some help to get out of there? Hold on, I'll call someone over. I'll be right back."

The holographic Remy then proceeded to make his climb out of the chasm, when his advances were immediately halted by every clump of Marvelite emitting their light and sounding their melody. The boy took the sign to heart and decided against his original idea, sitting back down on the dirt ground.

"What do you mean you don't need help? You're not stuck? Um…okay, then. I guess I'll see you around. Huh?"

The human boy, compelled by a profound, indescribable feeling, approached the Marvelite vein nearest to him on his hands and feet and sat in front of it with his knees tucked to his chest. He stared into the luminescent substance and was motionless for some time.

Gumball drew close to the illusory child, driven by his own need to learn. He neared Remy with the smallest, most cautious steps. He then stopped right behind him and watched as the human rocked back and forth and seemingly engaged in dialogue with the vein. Though he saw the boy's mouth moving, there was no sound to be heard out of it.

Remy followed suit and made his way towards his old self with a wistful expression. He folded his arms and breathed at a gentle pace, wondering when this retread to the past was going to end.

"Now what's happening?" asked Gumball, not once taking his eyes away from the memory.

"Just listen," Remy instructed, then shutting his eyes and straining his face.

" _How long have you been in here?"_ said the holographic Remy, tracing his finger along the dirt.

In answer to the question, a new voice entered, the sound bouncing all across the chasm. _"Far too long."_

Flinching from the voice's sudden entry, Gumball reaffirmed his footing and wandered his head at every other direction. He twisted and turned where he stood before his human friend soothed him to a halt.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Take it easy there," quelled Remy, affecting another wry smile and putting his hand on Gumball's back. Stroking it deftly, softly. "It's alright. Now stay put and watch."

It took a point of Remy's finger for Gumball to put two and two together. This loud, ringing voice was another part of the memory.

* * *

" _So what are you supposed to be? Come to think of it, what_ is _all this supposed to be anyway?"_ By the time he had finished the first question, the imaginery Remy stopped his trailing of his finger.

" _Someone's full of questions. Seeing as there's not much else I can do given the predicament I'm in, I guess that leaves me no choice but to indulge your curiosity. You could say that I am like many other people out there, eager to make a change in the world however way I can. But I'm not what you would call a 'person' or a 'human'. Not anymore."_

" _I…see."_ The contortion on the innocent, impressionable Remy said everything about his confusion.

" _But what I am, or what I used to be, isn't important. What you see before you is a source of endless wonder. This very stone you see in front of you is a gateway to innumerable miracles, to a multitude of amazing spectacles the likes of which any man or woman will go to great lengths to witness."_

" _Endless wonder? Innumerable miracles? Amazing spectacles?"_

" _That is correct. Now for a little demonstration. If you would please stand back, dear boy."_

" _What are you—"_

Remy was met with an answer long before he could finish, and from beneath the soil, a flurry of fireworks shot out and danced above him in a colorful, explosive, glittery exhibition. The human overcame his short bout of fright to gaze and marvel at the spectacle, his eyes gleaming with the fireworks' reflections.

The last of the conflagration subsiding, the Marvelite clumps emitted their glow, enticing Remy to approach one of them again. Compelled, the boy inched forward and sat with his feet tucked under his rear.

" _I don't think I've ever seen anything like that before,"_ said Remy, still spellbound. _"What else can you do?"_

" _So much more,"_ said the invisible entity. _"If only the rest of this world were deserving of it."_

" _What are you talking about?"_

Inside the Marvelite, the being paused to think. Like an open book, he read Remy from top to bottom, taking in every inch of him. Every contour He took in the human child's wide-eyed countenance, the shimmer in his face. Such innocence. Such a free spirit. What an untamed soul. The boy had so much ahead of him.

Despite this person's lack of a physical form, it did not take away his consciousness or his emotions. He was still very much capable of it, as though a heart were beating inside his unseen chest. And in that heart burned an urge that ached terribly. It gave him purpose, a clarity like never before.

" _Dear child,"_ said the unseen person, now speaking in a way befitting a guardian. A confidant. A parent. _"This world is far too blinded by their own plights. Too entangled by worldly pleasures to see past them. It hinders them from ever seeing beauties such as the one you have been shown. And as the world sows, so shall it reap. If only times had turned out better than they have now."_

" _I'm not sure if I'm following,"_ replied Remy, a small sense of fright creeping in and crawling on his skin.

The being hesitated for a second time. If he had a body right now, he would take action in a heartbeat.

" _The wonders of this very substance has been lost in the sands of time, and you have the world's populace to thank for that. I may only be confined to this stone, but I am still very much able to see and feel as well as any other person. How I wish there were days where I couldn't feel. Every last man and woman to ever walk this earth. Self-serving, self-loving, selfish, the lot of them. Only caring about their basest emotions and desires, and nothing more. You, dear boy, are different."_

" _How so?"_

" _You are a sight most rare in these recent times. I refused to bear any more of the filth permeating this world, and have thus slumbered in my stony abode for centuries. The purity in your heart. It speaks for itself. It has awoken me from my slumber, and for that, you have my sincere thanks."_

" _Um…you're welcome?"_ said Remy, processing these words as they were being spoken. He found much comfort in this peculiar person, but just as much misgiving. Comfort because whoever this person was made great strides in earning his friendship, and misgiving for that very same reason. As if he knew of him long before he was born into the world. It made the human boy feel exposed, like he were standing in front of a crowd without an article of clothing on his back. This was an unwelcome feeling that he didn't appreciate. _"But…I don't see what's so special about me. Have you seen the things I do? Just a few days ago, I put myself and my baby sister in danger. The two of us could have died here. Can't say that I have a pure heart after that."_

" _And yet here you are, standing before me. Dear child, there is a light in you that shines bright as the sun, perhaps even brighter. It would sadden me to see that light vanish. The wonders of this stone are for you and you alone, but if you so wish it, I can take you away from all of this. I can sweep away the pain and suffering in the snap of a finger."_

" _What's going to happen?"_ Remy asked, hands clasped tightly. His grip on his nerves slowly withering.

" _I can save you. You needn't ask. I am most happy to oblige. Your very being will be preserved in this very substance. You will have the entire world in the palm of your hand. You will transcend existence itself, and these wonders will be at your beck and call. The world will be your clay to mold. It can be how you wish it to be."_

Remy bit his lip and pondered, his foundation rocked. To reach a higher form of existence. The offer was all too tempting. It was one of those things that any boy or girl, any man or woman, would die for. One of those unattainable things in life. And here it was, handed to him on a silver platter.

But like every bargain out there, there was a trade-off.

" _Does this mean I'm going to leave everything behind?"_ the human child queried wearily, retreating his head a little as he weighed both sides.

" _Yes, and I mean everything,"_ the being replied slowly and intently. _"You didn't expect that there wouldn't be some sacrifices, did you?"_

" _Well…no. But…what about my family?"_ A slideshow then played in the depths of Remy's brain. They projected pictures of his family, beginning with Bernard, then Catherine, then Monty and lastly, Julia. These photographs weighed on him. He asked himself what would become of them if he were to leave them behind.

" _A sacrifice worth paying."_

Remy gasped, the life flushing out of his face. For all this talk about having the world in the palm of one's hands, he felt his own world shattering into many pieces. Some lines were not meant to be crossed. His own family was one such boundary.

Rising to his feet, the boy took one step back followed by another. He clutched one hand into the other and held them both against his chest. Fiercely he shook his head and perished the thoughts that were flooding his mind in a nigh-unending sequence.

" _I'm sorry, but I can't accept that,"_ he said, losing a bit of his ground.

" _Are you sure about this?"_ asked the invisible entity, the rocks glowing in time with his voice. _"You can always reconsider."_

Once again, Remy rattled his head left and right. He gripped his shirt tighter and tighter, as if he were holding on to something for dear life. As if it were slipping from his fingers. It didn't take long for him to understand that he _was_ holding on to something.

Counting each breath entering and leaving his mouth, Remy gazed at the stone squarely and steeled his face.

" _Thank you for the offer. Really,"_ the boy answered, shaping his lips into a steady, if not tiny smile. _"But there are people in this town that are too important to me to just leave behind."_

" _Those people are no different than the ones I've seen."_

" _You're wrong. Not everyone is as terrible as you're making them out to be. I don't know what reality you live in, but you're not giving anyone any credit. If you really think there's this 'light in me' that you say there is, then how are you sure that it's not in everyone else?"_

Another bout of silence swept the cavern. The unseen being could not help but be amused by this child's naïveté. Were he to have a body of his own, he would have the palm of his hand against his face. The more he examined him, the greater his determination to save him grew. Such idealism was far removed from a society as impure as the one he lived in. It was hilarious.

At the same time, it was pathetic…

He chuckled to himself.

" _If you insist on carrying out this charade, I will not stop you. Far be it for me to impose my will on a little boy such as yourself,"_ he said in a tone that was half understanding and half condescending.

Remy took one cautious step towards the exit, and the ones afterwards were steady. As he neared the smallest rock, the resonant voice stopped him one last time.

" _But if you ever have a change of heart, you know where to find me. Until you have awoken from your grandiose delusions, I will be here waiting for you."_

That was the last that Remy had to hear from the person.

* * *

As the final scene in the recollection reached its end, Gumball veered his eyes to the side to let his thoughts simmer. The expression upon his face could not project his newfound clarity even more. It was like standing in front of a door that led to some undiscovered place…

A door that had just been opened. He wondered if it was really worth it in the end…

"And the rest…is history," said Remy grimly, lowering his head at an angle.

"You mean this was before…" The pieces fell into place for Gumball. He had meant to ask if it was before the human's falling out with his family. Before his untimely death. Before his pneumonia had claimed his life. But the words fell back down his throat.

Remy spared a glimpse at Gumball before slowly panning his head back to the dirt ground. How many times would his feline friend be sentenced to that same wavering gaze? Those shifty eyes that were always on the brink of tears?

"I honestly thought that this person in the rock was wrong. That there was more good in the world than he gives it credit for. But to my surprise, he was absolutely, one hundred percent right. What am I saying? It's not really a surprise now, is it?"

There was a bitter pang that caressed Remy's tongue. Gumball could taste it through those two questions. Through the way they were spoken.

Gumball raised a paw, but as he proceeded to speak his mind, was promptly stopped. Remy wasn't finished.

"I thought I could make a difference," Remy continued, his manner of speaking now at its most bitter, even jaded. "That by taking this person's place in this ginormous boulder, by turning my town into a paradise, by making it a playground born of my imagination, I can turn things around somehow. It can make a lot of people happy. Not just my mom, my dad or my brother and sister, but everyone in Elmore. Heh. Look how well _that_ turned out. It hit me like a brick. Like he said, what could ever change?"

For all the words that were used to describe Elmore—'freakshow', 'dreamland', 'Twilight Zone', just to name a few—no one had ever considered the town quite like how Remy described it just now. A paradise where fantasy and reality come together seamlessly. Where literally anything can happen.

A playground born of the imagination, the idealism, the spirit of a young boy. No one had picked up on that possibility.

Gumball's sneaking suspicions came to a head at that point, and they could not possibly be any harsher than they already were. His mother's words to him the other night reverberated in the corners of his mind. Everyone, no matter how big or small, how important or unimportant, deserved to be happy. In the end, however, being happy was all a matter of choice.

Even though Remy chose his family, his whole town, over himself, what was in it for him? What did he earn from choosing as he did? Was there any good for him to take from this whole matter?

"Remy," said Gumball, his sacred tone burrowing into the human child's consciousness. Causing him to wearily clutch one hand in another and grimace. "Thank you…for being honest with me."

"Huh?" The human whipped his head towards the blue cat, his eyes and mouth agape.

"I can see why you were dilly-dallying on telling me this in the first place. It must have taken a lot out of you to show all this to me. I hope I didn't come off as being too pushy."

Remy chuckled, breathing in relief. The weight upon him had lessened greatly. "Don't worry about it. You weren't being pushy. As a matter of fact, it feels kinda nice to finally get it out of my head."

Gumball strolled in a circle, a whirlwind of emotions and questions gathering inside him. He felt his muscles loosen and his fur cling to his skin. Not to mention the chasm that was slowly opening in his stomach.

The seconds fleeted by with every step he took. His mind stirred as he took his time thinking of the conversation he had just seen.

"That deal that this person was trying to make with you," started Gumball, stopping several feet away from a wall. "Are you pitching it to me?"

Closing the distance between him and his friend, Remy placed a hand on the feline's shoulder. Or at least he attempted to; it merely phased through him. Nevertheless, he had his attention.

"I wouldn't even think of doing that to you," said Remy, clenching the same hand into a fist. Clamping the tip of his tongue in between his lips.

"Then why me?" Gumball tucked his paws into his pockets.

If what this person in the Marvelite said was true, that the presence of a free and innocent spirit brought him out of his coma, then it really begged the question as to what made him exceptional. Out of all the children, out of every Elmorean, he just had to be the one caught up in this whirlwind.

"Immortality's not quite what it's cut out to be. Being stranded in here, keeping this whole town in check, it's not exactly what you'd call glamorous. Ever since I ended up here, I've had this void that's just begging to be filled. I thought it could have been anything, but when I felt the touch of your paw, I figured out exactly what was missing in the first place. I should be the one thanking you, Gumball."

"Me? For what?"

"For making me believe in everything again. For making the pain stop. For just being a good friend."

Remy's eyes flittered close to contain the tears welling up inside them. Soon enough, they were cascading down his cheeks, which themselves were flushed a deep red. The human wiped his eyes clear of his tears and lunged at Gumball, bringing his arms around in an embrace. Ignoring the fact that he was but a projection, a see-through visage, and doing his best to keep the cat in his grasp.

Gumball, speechless from the suddenness of the act, returned the embrace with his own, bringing his arm behind Remy's back. Ensuring that neither of them pass through the other.

Despite not really coming into contact with one another, there was still a measure of warmth for both children to feel. In their beating hearts, in their steady breaths, they felt it, as the kindred spirits they were. Kindred in the adventurous, unfaltering way they carried out their lives.

"Just promise me one thing," whispered Remy, the last of his tears vanishing.

"Yeah?"

"Let's keep this between us. Please."

"You got it, buddy."


	16. Starting to look up

_**The Beginning**_

 **by Christopher R. Martin**

Chapter 16 – Starting to look up

* * *

" _Take a look at this." Remy beckoned Gumball with his finger as he laid his eyes inside the drawer of his old nightstand. He pulled the item in question out, a seemingly blank sheet of paper, and gazed at it with a degree of fondness and laughter._

 _It only came off as blank because Gumball could not see what was actually on the paper. Sitting on his old bed, Remy pulled Gumball in with his arm, granting his friend the privilege of visiting another portion of his memory._

 _Gumball scanned the contents of the paper with the same fondness as Remy. What he saw before him was a crude drawing of a city comprised of jagged lines, clashing colors and stick people. But he didn't pay much mind to the elementary-level artistry. His eyes panned towards the bottom, where he saw the names Remy and Julia roughly scribbled in black ink._

" _She was the one who drew up the buildings and cars. All I did was add the people," Remy said with a chuckle, rubbing his finger against the smooth surface of the paper._

" _So I see," teased Gumball, which the human repayed with a playful nudge on the shoulder._

 _The blue cat returned the gesture in kind, his giggles rising to slightly louder laughter. It came to a complete stop as quickly as it ascended as soon as he caught sight of a particular building in the drawing. His eyebrows furrowed as if he had seen it before._

 _He assured himself that this wasn't another trick being played on him. The building in question was Elmore Junior High, or at least a template for what the finished product would be. But that was only the first of several. From the grocery store to the park to the suburb that he and his family were living in, the more he thought and observed every inch of the drawing, the clearer it was turning out to be._

 _Remy, seeing the response Gumball was giving the picture, leaned forward to find a clarity writing itself upon his feline friend's face. Had the human been born in a different time, in Gumball's time, he had no doubt that the two of them would be like brothers. Blood brothers. If either of them were to hide something from the other, they would have to try very hard…_

" _This is…" said Gumball._

" _My sister and I had quite the imagination. At least, that's what my parents always told us," Remy started, gently laying down the details for Gumball to digest. Pointing his finger at every aspect of the picture. "We both had this crazy idea as to what Elmore would look like a couple of years down the road. What she and I hoped that it would be. Big, high-rise buildings, fancy-schmancy cars, large neighborhoods, the works. An Elmore that's larger than life itself."_

 _Gumball wouldn't really dismiss those ideas as crazy, especially considering that they eventually became a reality. If anything, he eagerly looked forward to hearing what other ideas Remy and his sister had cooked up._

" _You would have made a great architect," the blue cat teased as he set the paper down atop the nightstand._

" _Hardy har har," the human child countered, rolling along his bed and lying down parallel to the edges._

" _In all honesty, though, I appreciate you sharing this with me." Gumball slunk down the sheets and leaned against the bed, knees tucked into his chest._

 _From out of nowhere, a blaring noise buzzed into the room, causing Gumball to leap up to his feet. The sound was that of his alarm clock. It ushered a brand new day, and was the prompt for him to descend back to the realm of the living._

" _That's my cue," announced Gumball, nonchalantly nudging his head to the side. Putting his paws around his waist. He walked closer to the door, waiting for Remy to rise from his bed._

" _Oh, before you go, I want you to have this," Remy called out, presenting the sheet of paper for Gumball to take._

 _Gumball crooked his eyebrow at the sight of the object. "You serious?"_

" _It's not much use to me anymore." The human did not mention that he didn't need to be reminded of his previous life. There were plenty of those as it already were._

" _And what makes you think it'll be of any use to me?"_

" _I don't know, but I insist. Consider it a gift, a souvenir or whatever." Remy shrugged his shoulders, expecting the feline to figure it out for himself._

 _There was neither need nor harm in accepting it, but Gumball indeed accepted it as a token anyway and stashed it in the pocket of his pajamas._

Arising from his sleep, Gumball gave off a bulky yawn and stretched his arms outwide. His pocket weighed slightly more than he remembered. In it, he found a piece of paper folded four ways. Remy and Julia's slapdash drawing was on its surface, complete with their names written on the bottom corner.

Beneath the two names was an additional note addressed directly at him. In capital letters it read: DON'T FORGET. Remy might be an outgoing, spirited kid, but every word he has said so far, he meant with every ounce of energy in him.

What happened between Gumball and Remy remained between Gumball and Remy. The blue feline child was expressly forbidden from sharing anything with anyone.

* * *

"I must say, everyone, I have mixed feelings regarding your results for your assignment," said the coach as she strolled from row to row, returning the graded worksheets to their respective students. Each of them had letters ranging from A to F stamped on them in a large, circled font, driving both the crushing disappointment and overwhelming elation home. "Some of you did poorly, some of you did decent, but could do better, some of you were great, and I can count those of you who were outstanding on one hand."

She moved in front of the desk to address the class, still with a thin pile of schoolwork in her possession. It was literally two papers large. Underneath her seemingly detached demeanor was a sensation too great even for her. A sense of astonishment.

Swallowing her pride and a little bit of saliva in her mouth, she proceeded to hand out the remaining two sheets. The first went to Penny Fitzgerald, whose look on her face was akin to a starry sky. The other paper belonged to Gumball, and seeing both his substitute teacher return it to him and the gigantic, boldened A+ plastered on it aroused a pair of raised eyebrows from him.

Giving his head a hasty shake, the blue cat inspected both sides of the paper. He skimmed through all ten questions to ensure that he wasn't in another one of Remy's concocted dream scenes, but he should have already known that from how quiet the Marvelite piece had been throughout the day so far. No x's were in sight. Apart from some comments from the coach, everything there was check, check, check…

"You serious?" asked Gumball, retreating and angling at his head. Looking the coach dead in the eye with a bemused look.

"Not something you hear every day, is it, Gumball?" the coach asked back, intending for a sarcastic effect. But her nigh-perpetual detachment prevented any and every attempt made. "I know the feeling. Anyway, let's carry on."

As always, the coach was not one for dilly-dallying, and she took to the blackboard, where she outlined the lesson for the morning in chalks of white, blue and yellow.

The paper flittered out of Gumball's paw and down on his desk. Despite his show of surprise and loss for words, pride swelled in him like an aching condition. His peers could care less for this achievement, as they were too immersed in their own failure-success to even do so. Apart from an off-hand joke from Banana Joe, who was sitting behind him, but that was about it.

Over to his right, Penny leaned past her desk and, with a hand cupping half of her mouth, beckoned Gumball to where she sat. It took multiple 'psst's' to get him to look her way, but once he did, she affected a grin and put up her hand in front of him. She rightfully received a high-five only to chance landing the two of them into their teacher's hardened eyesight.

The coached about-faced in a snap and scoured the class for the source of the slapping sound. Gumball and Penny ramrodded their bodies upright and wore nervous smiles that risked falling off at any second. As soon as she resumed her writing, they eased the tension in them, giggling to themselves at the absurdity of it all.

Later in the day, they made their way to the school library, where they say by the computer area to prepare for an upcoming English test. Penny concentrated her efforts on the web browser, searching the near and far corners of the Internet for information regarding the short story she had hand-picked in class. Gumball, however, immersed himself in a game of solitaire, clicking the seconds away. Starting the game anew as soon as he stumbled across a dead end.

Penny flashed a disapproving stare at her boyfriend. One pet peeve that grew over time was Gumball's procrastination. He denied it, but her reminders of his responsibility actually helped more often as opposed to when his mother did it. It naturally had something to do with the fact that his darling was the one doing the talking. It worked, so long as she refrained from referring to the word itself.

The last thing Gumball wanted was a nauseating retread of the accidental switcheroo between his mother's bags of groceries and the bags of garbage.

"So are you winning?" asked Penny, smiling lightly. Eyes moving back and forth between Gumball and his monitor.

Gumball jittered as his girlfriend was within a fingertip's length of him, and his paw and the mouse slipped. The cursor on his screen moved from one unopened card to the one on the right, which was revealed with an unintentional right click.

"No…!" the blue cat gasped as a message reading 'Loser' appeared, along with a raspberry icon and the eight-loss streaked he had amassed. Discontented with the outcome, he planted his face on the keyboard, not realizing the potential of any residue gluing the keys on his countenance.

"You know better than that, Gumball. Now cut it out and get some work done," said the shapeshifter, patting the cat on his back twice and then continuing from where she left off…

Gumball lifted his head off of the table, his face now a mish mash of letters in the alphabet. They weren't the stickers or ink from the keys, they were actual letters. Gently he removed them in a similar manner to removing a bandage. They clung to his skin tightly. By the time he was done, in place of the letters were tiny bald holes where patches of his fur once were.

It was almost as absurd as nearly getting caught laughing by the coach earlier in the morning. And just like then, he merely chuckled it off his system, buckled down and got to work as instructed.

Just as he was about to type on the search bar, his mind began to drift, as was par for the course with him. He thought of the drawing that Remy gave him the other night and the solemn promise the two of them made. The sheet of paper was still inside his pocket, and a nagging urge to show it to Penny gnawed away at him.

He began to question why Remy made him take the oath to begin with. He could name a few Elmoreans that were trustworthy off the top of his head. From his family to his friends to his girlfriend. If Remy could make an exception for Anais and Darwin, then there was no reason he couldn't do the same for anyone else.

Come to think of it, that _was_ unfair on his part. Jumping to conclusions without giving the slightest thought that he just might be wrong. Assuming the worst out of people simply because of how poorly his life had turned out. Denying these people the truth that they deserved to know.

Gumball closed his eyes and pored over the entire thing thoroughly. If Remy was a friend of his, then he shouldn't have a problem with another person finding out.

"Hey, Penny," Gumball began, an unease creeping up along his skin.

"Hm?" Penny peered through her monitor, but was only met with her boyfriend's hesitation.

"Forget it."

"What did you want to say, Gumball?"

"Just wanted to know what the time was. It's not important." He spared a brief look at the clock above the door behind him.

The two of them carried on with their respective tasks, Gumball feeling foolish and wishing he could reverse his unceremonious bout of idiocy.

There was nothing particularly hard about what he had in mind. All he had to do was take the paper out of his pocket, unfold it, show it to Penny and explain to her how important it was. That was it. Nothing complicated whatsoever.

But it might as well have been. It had to be the Watterson in him; he had a measure of integrity to maintain. Blurting out the secrets confided to him this soon would be no better than stabbing someone in the back.

All he needed was time. All _Remy_ needed was time. Time to adjust. Time to change his mind…

…if it ever was possible.

* * *

"Gumball, where are you?" Darwin yelled into his cell phone, nearly taking Gumball's head off his shoulders.

"I'm a little preoccupied at the moment," said Gumball, remaining as calm as he could whilst searching high and low across his classroom.

Penny scoured one side of the room while he scoured the other, leaving no stone unturned. The sound of clattering stationery and drawers slamming shut sounded into the speaker of his phone, giving Darwin some sort of vague clue as to what was happening on the other side.

The problem with USB sticks was that they were small. In the rush of getting out of school at the sound of the final bell, Penny had dropped her USB stick after Idaho had inadvertently bumped into her just as she started to pack away her supplies. It didn't take long for the tiny little thing to be lost in the shuffle of her other classmates' hurriedly moving feet. Everyone had already gone, including their teacher, but so did her stick. Many gigabytes worth of assignments and notes was lying around in the classroom somewhere. It couldn't have gone far.

Gumball opted to stay behind and help in looking for the blasted device. He began to question why these things couldn't be made a little larger, and possibly with glowing neon lights to be just that bit more convenient.

"Any luck, Gumball?" Penny hollered from the rear of the classroom, closing a cabinet she had just finished searching.

"Nope!" Gumball pressed his head against his phone and talked into the speaker. "Hey, buddy, you mind leaving a seat open for me? Gimme two minutes."

"Okay, but I doubt that two minutes is gonna be enough—"

"I don't need the negativity!" Gumball screamed, repaying Darwin his scream just now ten times over. The fish's head vibrating like a speaker.

The two seventh graders scrounged the entire classroom until Gumball finally came across the USB stick – a tiny, peanut-shaped thing with a chain fitted on one end. Penny breathed easy, thanked Gumball for his help and placed the device in her backpack. Neither one of them realized that ten minutes had passed during their search.

And by the time that they had exited the building, the bus had already left. There were no other buses remaining. A frustrated Gumball kicked his feet, a clump of dust floating in front of him. He banged his head against a nearby sign, Penny rubbing him on the back for comfort and apologizing for keeping him back.

For her, he would give anything, even his ride back home. Even if it meant that he wouldn't have his way. He found the apology unnecessary, yet she still felt the need to repay him somehow.

What better way to return the favor than by offering her darling a ride home?

"How?" asked Gumball bewilderedly as Penny broached the question. "You're not even of legal driving age yet."

Penny giggled at the show of obliviousness, her cheeks flushing slightly. "That's not what I'm talking about, Gumball."

"Wait, are you gonna hitchhike?"

"Erm… No. What I'm trying to say is—"

"Catch a cab? I don't know about that. Between us, I haven't got any change on me, and it'll—"

"Gumball!" Penny snatched him by his cheeks, putting a stop to his routine of interrupting her. "Listen! I can take you home."

Gumball's eyebrows lifted. One quick inspection of her, and he eventually understood. "Oooh," he announced out loud. "Are you sure? I won't be too heavy for you, will I?"

"I've gotten the hang of my transformations lately. It's not going to be a problem."

"Alright, then!" said Gumball, clapping and rubbing his paws. "Let's see it!"

Penny held out her backpack for Gumball to take and, after a deep breath, fell into a haze of concentration. Her surroundings vanished in a snap, and the sounds around her flittered into nothingness.

Her transformations were tied to her emotions. Whatever she felt manifested in the appearances she assumed. A mischievous streak, for instance, would lead her to turn into a fox. Helplessness equaled a tiny little mouse. Proud equaled a lioness. She usually had her emotions under wraps, which meant her shapeshifting was under her control, but there were many instances where they had gotten the better of her, and thus she'd transform not of her own volition.

The muscles in her glowing, shapeshifter frame tightened, her bones clenching, as she looked inside her for a thought that could make her angry. But she came up empty-handed. The tension releasing from her body, she exhaled deeply and hunched forward.

"Darn it!" she exclaimed.

Gumball, affecting a sarcastic grin, feigned an applause. "You _definitely_ got the hang of this. Real smooth, Penny."

"Oh, knock it off," said Penny, seeing past the cat's teasing. "I had it in the bag the other day. It's so strange. Why can't I feel what I need to feel at the right time? I have to get mad, but what do I have to be mad at? Really?"

"Hmm…" Gumball rubbed his cheek and moved away from the sign. He began pacing left and right before arriving at an idea. "I think you don't really have to be mad. Try feeling something else."

"Something else?"

Some other less strenuous emotion was probably what he had meant. Something more positive. More uplifting.

"Yeah. Give it a try. Think of what you're trying to be and what it's supposed to mean."

Penny closed her eyes and focused hard on the form she wanted to assume. She began painting an elaborate picture of it in the canvas that was her mind. The form she envisioned was one of the very first that she had changed into after breaking out of her shell completely. She was a dragon. She had large wings that spanned far and wide, a serpentine neck that accentuated her already powerful presence.

That's what she was. She was powerful. She could soar as high as she wanted. She was free. She was strong. If she so wanted, the world could very well be resting in the palm of her hand.

Light shimmered all across Penny's lithe frame. The young shapeshifter levitated above ground, her features changing one by one. Her hands and feet morphed into a set of powerful limbs, the rest of her body expanded greatly in size, and a pair of majestic wings emerged from her back and spread out to either side. From this height, all else seemed just a tad bit smaller. Her cheeks flushed once more as she delighted in her successful metamorphosis, breathing inwards to not let herself get carried away.

"It worked!" Penny joyously exclaimed.

"It worked!" parroted Gumball, chuckling in triumph. Taken aback by the rapture of his darling's changed appearance. This was the rapture that overwhelmed him that same night. "You did it!"

"I did! _We_ did it!" Penny turned her head to Gumball and flashed her best smile. On this new form it looked different, but her elation was the same.

"We?" Gumball pointed to himself, wondering if the part he had played just now really was that big. He encouraged her and nothing more.

Penny herself seemed convinced otherwise, so he chose to play along.

"Alright, Gumball. Hop on, and hold on tight."

Gumball leapt on the dragon's back, careful not to let either of their bags slip from his grasp. He fitted Penny's in front of him to ensure that it does not happen. There wasn't really anything that he could hold on to. Nothing that was obvious to him anyway.

The wings started flapping, gradually picking up speed. Penny made her ascent into the clouds with sheer determination and confidence in her face, her heart soaring along with her. Elmore looked many times smaller to her, the people down below almost unseeable in her eyes, like a colony of ants marching around in their ant farm.

Likewise, Gumball peered to the side and gazed down on Elmore and its now-microscopic inhabitants. Well, the ones that he could make out, anyway. Something about flying high in the sky always made it appealing. If it wasn't the feeling of being pretty much on top of the world, then it was the sense of unrivalled freedom. And if that wasn't the big draw, it was the rush of wind blowing in your face.

Or better yet, it was all these three things put together. Flying was an extraordinary experience, and nowhere else was that any more true than here. Riding on the back of a dragon, immersing oneself in the breeze. In the quickened heartbeats.

"This _so_ beats taking the bus!" announced Gumball, parting his arms to his sides to get the most out of the fleeting currents of air. This moment was a far cry from his first experience riding on Penny's back.

"Don't let it get to your head, Gumball," Penny announced back, sparing a glance before looking back at her path.

Her words might have gone unheeded, as Gumball then proceeded to stand on his two feet and basked in the freedom. Penny sensed his soles rubbing on her body, but was unable to identify what they were exactly. But a single claw dug into her flesh sent the message.

"What are you doing?" shouted Penny

"That's more like it! Woo-hoo!" Gumball cried, his voice disseminating from one end of Elmore to another. Goading all the people back on terra firma to look to the sky, and try and search for the source.

"Are you crazy, Gumball? Sit down!" said Penny vehemently, not wanting to deal with the cat's usual antics. Not at this time. But the soles of her feet continued to rub on her. His claws stayed ingrained on her back. "Gumball, are you even listening to me? I don't want you getting hurt."

"But I can't help it," said Gumball without much of a care. Taking in the swooping breeze. "This is too awesome!"

"Fine," Penny conceded, suppressing a chuckle. "But make sure you don't fall off."

"I won't. After all, I trust you. I know you won't let me."

As the wind carried her, Penny took those words to mind and kept it in the deepest regions of her heart. Gumball was right in that she wasn't going to let him fall. That she was always going to stay by his side the same way he was always going to stay by hers.

But what took her by surprise was the certainty in which he placed his faith in her. The wholeheartedness in his trust. This was not a claim one would do blindly. It made her consider how far the two of them had really come. It made her glad that she had let him fantasize about a life spent together. As that fantasy of his was now hers as well.

Down below Penny sighted the Watterson household. Parked by the kerb was the school bus, and leaving it was not one person, but two of them. One of them was an orange blot, and the other a gray mark spotted with a smidge of blonde. She descended on the leftmost side of the front lawn, Gumball dismounting from her back with both of their bags in tow.

She then set her eyes straight forward. The two colored spots she saw in the sky were none other than Darwin and Jamie. Darwin was the one leading Jamie out of the bus, taking her by the hand in a form befitting of a gentleman. Courteous bow and all…

She was not the only one who took in the picture with befuddlement; despite the weeks that have passed, Gumball could not fathom it himself.

"Odd couple, huh?" said the cat as a passing comment.

A flush arose on Penny's cheeks, and she giggled, enamored by the sight of Darwin happily—unironically—guiding his girlfriend to the house.

"If it works, it works," added the shapeshifter. "What makes _them_ different from us?"

"Touche."

"Anyway, I have to go. I'll catch you later, Gumball."

A frown found its place on Gumball's face as he heard this. "Aww, can't you at least stay for some afternoon tea? I've got a new recipe I've been meaning to try, and I could use _your_ input."

"Thanks. It sounds nice, but we're having a bunch of guests over tonight, and I have to be at home to help out."

"Who's coming?"

"Just some friends of the family. Nothing special."

"Ah."

"At any rate, I really must be going."

Gumball did not bother arguing and simply gave back her backpack. He bade his farewell with a wave and thanked her for the ride home, to which the dragon commented that she might consider doing more often, if not from time to time. He watcher her ride to the distance and soon entered his house.

* * *

The oven bell dinged as soon as the timer struck zero. A thick jet of steam poured from inside as Gumball pulled out a freshly baked tray of muffins. Careful not to scorch himself, he placed the tray on the counter.

Darwin and Jamie watched the cat's handiwork from the dining table, keeping themselves busy with their homework during the twenty-odd minute wait. The steam made them both cough for air when it flittered to their vicinity. Darwin fanned himself with one fin, while Jamie leaned over her chair to catch her breath.

"Afternoon tea…is served," said Gumball, snappily taking a bow after his dramatic pause. The oven mits he used slipped from his paws and down on the counter.

His announcement alerted Darwin and Jamie, who instinctively hustled out of their chairs and helped themselves to a muffin each…only to be stopped by the metal tray charring them in the process. Darwin quickly yelled the searing pain out, shaking his fin frenetically, its tip blackened and fuming. Jamie shook her hand at a more controlled speed, blowing on it twice after.

A humored Gumball tilted his head to the floor and palmed his face to hide the grin he was wearing and the snickers that he was cracking.

"Yeah, be careful," he remarked, cheeks puffed from smiling.

"Thanks for the warning," Jamie replied sourly, taking one muffin for herself. Darwin doing the same a second later, except with more caution.

" _Oh, man, that looks_ so _good,"_ said Remy from within the stone, his mouth watering. Fortunately for him, no one in the house could actually see it. _"I want some."_

" _Sure…if you're able to eat one,"_ Gumball teased, removing one muffin from its slot and its wrapping. Dropping shards of it into his mouth. He drew an image of Remy several feet away from him, watching as he teased him with the bite-sized pieces he was feeding himself.

" _You're such a stinker, Gumball,"_ Remy fired back.

" _Sue me."_

Back in the dining area, the distinct taste of cranberries slathered on Jamie's tongue. The flavor was comparable to a deep tissue massage – therapeutic, calming, and it simply felt good. It wasn't like anything she's had before. She couldn't get enough of it. She wanted more. But she was a guest. She couldn't bring herself to impose, not even after being invited over by Darwin.

Darwin… He was looking at her. She didn't want to. And he was staring as if she just contracted the most deadly disease ever known. His brow crinkled, lips a little pouted.

"Jamie?" the fish kid asked, extending a fin. Gently laying it down on her shoulder, and then doing the same with his other fin. "Are you okay?"

"Eh?" the troglodyte blurted, the moment overcoming her. "Who…wha…wher— Huh?"

"You don't look well. Do you need to lie down?"

She tried to speak, but the same things came out. Half-words, stammers and stutters. Once she had recovered, there was no changing Darwin's concern.

"I need a glass of water," a disconcerted Jamie answered frantically.

"Then let me come with you." Before Darwin could remove himself from the table, Jamie gripped his arm tight and pulled him back to his chair – an unusual form of reassurance.

"No!" Jamie blurted, catching herself as she was about to follow through on some potential stupid decision. Putting up a false smile. "I mean…I'll be fine."

She left her chair and took to the kitchen in a blur. Any last traces of heat and steam had been exhausted out of the remaining muffins, of which there were twelve. Twelve out of eighteen slots on the tray. One more wouldn't hurt. Just one more muffin. No big deal. No harm, no foul. No skin off her bones.

So she took one. That was al—and another. Alright, that was probab—and another. She should be fine by n—and another.

And another.

And another.

And another.

And before long, Jamie's hands were full. She munched on one muffin voraciously, wrapper and all. Crumbs fell to the floor and framed her face – an unsightly scene, but she did not care.

The troglodyte had indulged herself deeply into her snack that she failed to notice an onlooking Gumball from behind her.

"Wow," he commented, startling Jamie off of her feet. Making her lose her balance and falling on her derriere.

Embarrassed beyond belief, Jamie turned around and was astonished to find Gumball looking at her, leaning against the wall and wearing a smug smirk. The impulse to throttle him boiled in her blood, but was counteracted by a need to hide away until her unbecoming behavior just blew over.

In the end, she wanted to hide away more than she wanted to choke the air out of the cat. But there was no place for her tohide in. The best that she could do was blush, hoping that it would get her out of being humiliated.

Gumball chuckled, picking up the crumbs and wrappers from the ground. Jamie was already weary, but this apparent passiveness cranked up her weariness even further. Once he had disposed of her mess, she found his eyes squarely on hers yet again. He was leaning on a wall again, arms folded and legs crossed. He didn't stop smiling.

"They're good, aren't they?" asked the feline.

Jamie gasped from her stupor. She was thankfully spared from humiliation, but it didn't make her any less of a fool. In fact, she felt like an even bigger fool than she already was. Even after knowing the cat's willingness to wipe the slate clean, even after knowing the good faith in his actions towards him so far, she still expected the worst out of him.

Her foolishness became shame. And her shame became apparent in her blush.

Recovering from her slip, Jamie dusted herself off and gave Gumball an honest answer. "They're not good… They're awesome. It's a heck of a lot better than what I'm used to, that's for sure. I don't know what else to say. What's your secret?"

"No secret. Just putting in everything I've got. Like my dad said, you do what you love out of love for what you do."

"Huh?" said Jamie, trying to wrap her head around that hairball of a logic.

"Yeah, he got me there the first time he told me that."

The 'first time' in question was when Richard assembled some convoluted contraption that fed him a hot dog that was in the kitchen. If Gumball knew any better, what his father probably meant then was his love for lounging around in the house, chugging down every food he could lay his eyes on and just simply doing nothing.

It might have also been his key to success when he won the title of 'Elmore's Laziest Person' on the Summer of 1983.

"Help yourself to as many as you want," said Gumball, pointing Jamie the tray.

"Really?" gasped Jamie with excitement, her hands clasped. Eyes as though they had witnessed stars.

"Jamie, you're a guest. Have all the muffins, I insist."

"What the 'what'?" shouted Darwin from the dining table, astonished.

Gumball turned to the window, a vexed expression on him. "Okay, first of all, that's _my_ line. Second, there's plenty more where that came from. I'll make some just for you later, so stop being a baby!"

"Thanks…Watterson," said Jamie bashfully, quickly correcting herself. "I mean…Gumball. Thanks."

"Don't sweat it."

Jamie then began to take one muffin after another until she could carry no more. Gumball lent a hand by offering a brown paper bag for her to put them in. The temptation of taking all of the muffins in the tray was strong, but she soon decided that seven would do just fine.

As the young girl stashed the last muffin in the bag, Gumball sensed something coarse in the otherwise tranquil picture. There it was again. That scuttling sensation along his skin. The urge to share the secret he had been entrusted. This couldn't go on forever. If only he could just be upfront and say it. To someone. To anyone.

There was already someone in his midst. Not quite someone he trusted as deeply as his family or Penny, but it was someone. He watched on as Jamie happily rattled her bag of muffins, the oblivion in her face burning into his mind. The same oblivion that the rest of Elmore no doubt had in common. This wasn't right.

This was not right.

This was not right…

This. Was. Not. Right.

"Gumball?" asked Jamie, who was now inches away from the cat and checking his face like a doctor would. "Are you alright?"

"Huh? Oh. Yeah, just spaced out. Nothing out of the ordinary," said Gumball, retaining his cool. "Say, Jamie, can I tell you something?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"Um…"

The words were there, at the tip of his tongue. They were ready to fall off. Ready to land on her ears.

But at the last possible second, the glow from the Marvelite shone through. This glow was different from its usual slow, gentle and comforting rhythm. Instead, it blinked repeatedly, restlessly, filling the entire house with a spectrum of colors. Like the siren of a police car. It drew Gumball's eyes, as well as Jamie's.

" _Remy! What are you—"_

" _You are not telling her anything!"_ shouted the human.

" _Then who_ can _I tell?"_

" _No one! We had an agreement, Gumball! We had an agreement the other day!"_

The flashes stopped, as did Remy's voice. Gumball took out the Marvelite and glared at it, while Jamie stood where she stood and tried to make sense of what had just transpired.

"What was that?" she asked apprehensively, clutching her paper bag tightly. "That nothing out of the ordinary, too?"

"Oh. Yup," Gumball replied hastily, throwing his paws up as though nothing were wrong. "Does that all the time."

"So what were you trying to tell me?"

Putting the substance back in his pocket, Gumball scratched his head and relaxed himself against the counter. "Just wanted to say…" He casually tapped the surface, and his finger landed on a muffin inside the tray. "Why don't you take another one?"

"Nah, I'm good." Jamie waved her hand to politely decline. "Thanks, but I gotta get back to my homework, though." She waddled back to the table and took a pencil in her hand.

* * *

He clamped his thumb in between his lips as his thoughts began to swirl in him. The hour was late, and most of Elmore had already retired for the night. On the other hand, he spent much of his evening toiling away at his computer, going through the resources that he had uncovered, over and over again. A journal recorded by one individual during the days of Elmore's old glory, preserved in one scanned document on his computer. The very root of the History of Elmore exhibit that he had established in the museum.

For him, tonight was just like any other night prior. They adhered to the same routine, with minimal or no deviation. He followed the routine like a religion as of late, but the effects of his uninterrupted investment were compounding at an alarming rate. Bags were forming under his eyes, his frame of mind was all over the place, his senses were deadening, and the strands of hair on his head were starting to fall off one after another.

No price was ever too steep, he kept telling himself. As a reminder of that, he shrugged away his tiredness. Until he acquired what he has been chasing after, he wasn't going to stop.

The door to his room creaked as it swung open. Taking a step inside was a palette with its own set of appendages, its surface smeared with a kaleidoscope of colors, framed by a mouth and a pair of eyes. The long eyelashes distinguished it as a female.

Cautiously, she closed the door behind her. When she saw that he was still in front of the computer indulging his obsession yet again, she sighed to herself. She shook her head and nevertheless approached him, gently laying her hand down on his shoulder. Obsessed he may be, but the soft touch of her hand was the only thing that could break him out of his haze, even if just for a moment.

"You're falling back to your old habits again," she whispered into his ear, beaming at him. "How long until you're finished, darling?"

He paid mind to her smile for all of five seconds before burying his face in the palm of his hand, unable to keep with his exhaustion. "With a matter like this, one can never be too sure." His way of speaking was as dry as the north pole, except with even less life behind it.

She wiped away her smile. She hoped to hear a different reply from him. A reply that was along the lines of 'not long now, honey' or 'very soon, dear' or anything that remotely resembled a conversation. Anything that any normal husband would say, and not a museum curator. Anything that sounded like it came from a normal husband, and not a museum curator.

Actually, even a museum curator would be fine. Museum curators were still of this world. This paintbrush man was neither her husband nor a museum curator. Whoever— _what_ ever—took siege of him was not of this world.

Scrunching up her brow in sheer frustration, she took to her bed and tucked herself in her blanket. She flipped the lamp next to her on with a fierce tug of the pull string, shooting a sharp stare at her husband that he felt without even a passing glance.

"This cannot go on," the palette claimed, leaning against the backrest with folded arms. "You're sick, Roland. You can start the road to recovery by getting away from that computer."

"I can't, I'm too far in," said Emery, scrolling down the pages of the records. The entries were taken at different dates, but none of them had any trace of the author. No signature, no name, nothing. "I'm so close. So, so very close. I can feel it at my fingertips. A little more time is all I need."

The palette grumbled at the last phrase, like it were a type of poison. "Pfft… 'A little more time', 'a little more time'… I've lost count on how many times you've used that excuse. What is your definition of 'a little more time'?"

"I'll be finished when I finish." The paintbrush hunched forward, mumbling the words on the records as they appeared on his screen. His eyes began to dilute as he scrolled down to the next set of paragraphs.

 _Endless wonder._

 _Innumerable miracles._

 _Amazing spectacles._

These terms seemed to pop up frequently in the entry he was currently reading. The author behind these entries wrote of these so-called wonders of the world without even describing them in full. The only semblance of detail written down was that these wonders were tied to a certain stone that 'glowed with the colors of a rainbow and the brightness of the sun'.

A stone that he had dubbed the Marvelite. Named so _because_ of that connection. _Because_ of the rumors that surround it. A stone whose true nature he had yet to figure out, and could only be shown to, as the author himself had put it, 'one of a childish outlook'.

That was where that feline child came into play. Emery felt it in his gut. It pounded in his chest. The nature of the Marvelite would only unlock to one such as him. Surely by now, he would have gained that knowledge.

There was only one way to be sure.

"I need to pay that boy a visit," Emery stated, spinning on his swivel chair from the epiphany.

"Again?" said the missus, leaning from the backrest of her bed.

"No, no, no, I can't be too forward. I will only frighten him. That's it! He'll never know that I'm there. He won't know that I'm keeping my eye on him." Emery raised his finger to the sky, delighting in the idea.

His wife was not as enthused as him. "What?!" she shouted, appalled by her deluded husband's appointed course of action. "I beg your pardon?"

"A rudimentary approach, I know, but I will ensure that it goes without a hitch."

"And what if there _is_ a hitch in your little scheme? What happens then? You're arrested and pressed for multiple charges? Stalking? Potential pedophilia? Endangering a minor? Are you even thinking straight, Roland?"

"Of course I'm thinking straight, woman!" Emery shouted, his lungs erupting in him. "I've never thought any straighter in my entire life!"

"What do you even have to gain from this?"

"EVERYTHING!"

The room, the entire household, fell into a profound silence that blended with the rest of their suburb. Outside, the sounds of chirping crickets and hooting owls came to an immediate halt upon hearing the outburst.

In the midst of the silence, Emery breathed in and out deeply, finally standing up from his chair and gazing at his wife. She found herself back against the nightstand, cowering. Pulling up her blanket. This was a side to her husband that she was now seeing for the first time. This was a mistake. This wasn't the man that she married.

But the anger in his eyes, the way he bared his teeth in pure fury, his chest contracting and expanding from his breathing. They told her otherwise.

"This research cost me everything, Gloria," Roland said in a whisper. "I gave everything so I can get everything…"

"What do you mean 'everything'?" asked Gloria, quivering. Hoping that her husband would come to her senses.

"My innocence. The innocence I used to have." Roland spoke slowly, deliberately, his own body trembling. "The innocence that was wrongfully wrested from me back then. I want that innocence back. As soon as I figure out how this godforsaken stone operates, I _will_ get it back. And everything will be set right. For you and for me. Mark my words, Gloria."

Gloria stared deeply into his eyes. The anger he had shown just now was nowhere to be found. In its place was emptiness. A man that has been broken and never fixed. A man that continued to break, such as when he had come home from giving that class of seventh graders a first-hand tour around his exhibit.

A man who was never satisfied with his lot in life, and constantly hid behind a front.

Roland moved towards his side of the bed, staying upright to let his thoughts simmer down. By his side, Gloria had turned the other way, unbelieving of what she had just witnessed. Perhaps even upset.

Another reminder echoed in him. _This is not just for me. This is for her, too._ He closed his eyes, lowered his head and uttered this in his mind ritually, as a means to not let his sanity slip away.

"Mark my words, Gloria. Mark my words."

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_

 _Don't think that I forgot about Emery, because I didn't._

 _Also, I'm going to put up a poll on my account very soon regarding the story. Stay tuned for that._


	17. If I

_**The Beginning**_

 **by Christopher R. Martin  
**

Chapter 17 – If I…

* * *

Alcohol. Good old alcohol. The many times it managed to break the sanest men and women. The many times it's reduced them to an unflattering heap of foul breaths, blood-shot eyes, slurred speech and a scrambled egg for a brain.

Nicole wasn't always what you would call sane. Amongst her family, she and her daughter Anais were usually the level-headed ones. But three servings of calvados, and she was beginning to display these symptoms. Her mind was a blot smeared across a tiled floor, her speech amounting to as little as incomprehensible ramblings and words that were barely intact. Out of her mouth wafted a noxious smell that turned the dining area into a miniature miasma.

Gumball balanced between prying the bottle of brandy away from his mother and concealing his nose from the odor. The responsibilities of a parent are never easy, especially when juggled alongside other commitments. Cutting her the slack she deserved was the only sensible thing to do. It just so happened that a few rounds of alcohol was the most convenient means of escape.

Once he put away the bottle back in the refrigerator and the empty glass in the sink, he tended to his intoxicated mother's need, catching her as she was about to fall to the floor. Fixing her posture on her chair. As he lifted her lead-like frame, a puff of breath shot from Nicole's mouth and travelled into the young cat's snout. His complexion turning a sickly green, he rushed back into the kitchen and cleansed himself of the powerful scent, fanning it away frantically with his paw.

A single, long beep then sounded from the microwave; Gumball had almost forgotten about the glass of milk that he was warming up inside. Retrieving the glass from the microwave, he slipped an oven mit over his paw to avoid an unnecessary burn. Back at the dining area, Nicole was now sprawled on top of the table, on top of her college supplies. Saliva seeped from her agape mouth, landing on a page of her notebook. She was immobile, but not yet asleep. Her eyes were half open, and rather than snoring, she was moaning.

 _So much for trying to ask her_ , thought Gumball despondently, sitting on the table across Nicole. Casually enjoying his glass of milk, slurping his drink up loudly. Licking any stains that may have spotted the edge of his mouth. He glimpsed at his mother and saw one book in a pile of them with 'Elmore Polytechnical College' written on the spine. This book was smaller and thinner than the others. Caught in the middle of it was a pen hooked to one of the pages. Not just any kind of pen. A fountain pen, at that.

Gumball grumbled amusedly at the thing. There were no bite markings on it, not like Banana Joe's fountain pen. Funnier than that was Darwin flipping out and raiding the contents of Joe's locker. Honestly, it's less funny than it is hysterical, and in hindsight is even kind of disconcerting. It's one of those events that you have to see with your own two eyes in order to believe it. No one could have guessed that Darwin of all people would cause a problem like this.

Well, Gumball was the one who caused it, but Darwin _did_ escalate the situation even further. A situation plagued with misunderstandings and misdirection. It seems that one way or another, Elmore manages to set itself apart from any other village, town or city, and not really because of all these odd phenomena alone. Without them, tomorrow is already an adventure in its own right. These phenomena are just an icing on the cake. A crazy, hodgepodge of a cake.

As he engrossed himself in these musings, Nicole rose from her end of the table and rubbed her temple with one paw. She opened her eyes gingerly, her head thumping continuously, like a hammer driving a nail into a two-by-four.

"Gumball?" she asked to be certain, seeing double as a result of her intoxication. "That you?"

"Need something, mom?" Gumball asked back, putting his glass down.

"A glass of water would be nice."

Gumball did as his mother requested, filling up a clean, empty glass with water from the kitchen sink. Nicole swigged it in one fell swoop, sighing in relief. Her eyesight was restoring, but the thumping in her head persisted.

"Someone's gonna have to keep a close eye on you," the young cat commented with a short laugh, finishing the remaining milk in his glass.

"That bad, huh?" Nicole grinned at her son's humor, resting her head on her paw.

"Uh-huh."

She too let out a quick round of laughter, a pair of small red tinges spotting her cheeks. Embarrassed that she'd gotten carried away with her bottle of booze. About the only good thing she had to take out of this was that this wasn't somewhere public like the first time it happened.

On the night of their wedding anniversary this year, she and Richard had gone to their reservation at one of Elmore's most talked-about high-class restaurants. There, she came up with the brilliant idea of going crazy on the most expensive wine that the restaurant had to offer – sparkling red wine from the vineyards of Barcelona, Spain. It left a dent on her paycheck, but that was nothing compared to her getting tipsy after the sixth or so helping.

Her mind was reduced into an amorphous mush, but she still could make out her actions and some of the words that she said that night. She was standing on another couple's table – Jackie and Harold Wilson's. After that was when she'd truly cut loose, lashing out at the other patrons in the restaurant, calling them out on their insecurities. Their deficiencies. Their shortcomings as people.

The comments she made include referring to Nigel Brown and Lucy Simian as, respectively, 'an underqualified hack who couldn't make a living as an overgrown lint roller' and 'an overcompensating, malnourished gorilla who can't stand the fact that she herself is stuck in a deadend job', and claiming that if the Robinsons were removed of their stuffing and put into pillows, it would be a huge improvement—a remark that managed to break Margaret, of all people, down into a sobbing, pathetic mess—and exposing Felicity Parham as 'a self-righteous, pig-headed fraud' who got to where she is in life solely because of her husband's social and financial standings. Among other things.

And all the while, Richard sat at their table, watching these turn of events unfold with abject astonishment. He had seen his wife unhinged so many times that he could not keep count anymore, but hearing her make these remarks opened a crevice in his soul. Years and years of bitterness held in, unleashed on these restaurant patrons en masse. It terrified him, but it also made him worry about how she probably had a healthy dose of venom reserved for him. How she might have lashed out at him just like she did to the other patrons.

But she did not. As her tirade came to a conclusion, her head had turned to lead. She wobbled on the table she stood on, floundering helplessly, teetering towards the edge. Richard lept in the nick of time to catch the fall, landing on his stomach, his wife safe in his arms. She was barely conscious, the smell of fermented grapes initiating a sensory assault on the overweight rabbit.

Holding in the urge to retch, Richard laughed away the incident as if it were minor, sheepishly saying that Nicole's wine had gotten the better of her. After hastily paying the bill and apologizing to the confused crowd, he raced out of the restaurant and drove off.

The events that unfolded that night gave Richard plenty to think about. And the days that followed were spent mostly reflecting. Pondering on what a terrible husband and father he had been up to that point. Between leaving his three children stranded in a ball pit and nonchalantly using his wife's hard-earned income, he had much to make up for.

Now that Nicole thought about it, it had to be why she couldn't recognize her own husband lately. Richard was more keen on bringing the kids to and from school, doing the dishes _and_ the laundry—without mixing them up, at that—and even managing to get back the job he'd lost at _Fervidus Pizza_.

Nicole giggled to herself, echoing her husband's nervous laughter that night. _Most interesting anniversary ever_ , she thought, her cheeks bearing a small tinge. "This is embarrassing," she noted in a murmur. She concluded that in spite of the zaniness that was their catastrophic anniversary dinner, there was at least one good thing to come out of it.

"What's so funny, Mom?" asked Gumball, wiping the milk stains off of his lips with his sleeve.

"Oh, just something that happened recently."

"Can you tell me?"

"One of these days. It'll be a mouthful. And I want all of us to look at it together and have a laugh." Nicole fixed herself another glass of water at the kitchen sink. She consumed it at the table in single, deliberate sips. The last of her migraine dissipating, she resumed with her studies, tracing her finger along the pages of her book. Continuing where she had left off – _the Six Key Characteristics of Life_.

His glass now completely empty, Gumball rinsed it off at the sink and left it to dry along with the other plates and glasses. He sat back at his chair, clasping his paws and placing them on the table. Casually tapping his foot on the carpet floor. Gazing at no specific object, eyes wandering without purpose around every corner of the house. He then settled on his mother's book and watched as she wrote down notes on her notebook. Her elegant cursive handwriting staggeringly different from the scribble-ish style of his father's.

The overall weight of her studies didn't seem to be an issue to her, since she never once grumbled or complained as she wrote and referred to her textbook. She was obviously the best person he could ever approach.

"Did you want to talk to me again, sweetie?" said Nicole, putting her pen down and flashing a smile at her son.

In response, Gumball slowly shook his head and raised a smile back, albeit a weary one. Nicole accepted the gesture, continuing with her studies, but deep down she sensed a question nagging at the back of Gumball's head. It could come at any moment now. She expected it.

Burying his face in his paws, Gumball closed his eyes in deep reflection. He thought about the times that Remy vehemently instructed him not to tell anyone anything about the stone. About its true nature. He thought of those moments where the human boy intervened as he was about to divulge these secrets to whoever he was speaking to at the time. How during those times, a burning surged from whatever pocket his fragment was in. As if Remy was actually trying to hurt him to remind him.

And in each one of those times, his face changed from its infectiously joyful complexion to a near blank mask. A pained look, as if someone had dealt him a great injustice. As if his faith had taken the shape of a glass ball, and that ball was flung across a wide, hollow room and shattered from impacting with the opposite wall. As if he was reliving a horrible memory, and that memory was playing on an endless loop.

Whatever happened that brought unto him that broken look in his face must have changed him so much. It must have had a lasting impact on him…

Opening his eyes, Gumball removed his face from his paws. He gazed directly at his mother, summoning the willpower to speak. Piecing together the right words. Those that won't incur Remy's interference, or worse his wrath.

"Actually, Mom, I do have a question," said the young blue cat, twiddling his fingers, paying attention to the pace.

"Go on, dear," said Nicole, somewhat relieved that her eldest eventually spoke. She had just avoided answering a rather difficult question on her textbook, if only temporarily.

Gumball flinched for a second, leaning his forehead on his knuckles. "Have you ever had that feeling where you try to fix something that you desperately want to fix?"

"I'm not sure if I'm following." Nicole furrowed her brow, resting her chin on top of her paws. "You mean like an antique vase?"

"No, that's not what I'm talking about. I mean, say that you're facing a problem, and you want to get down to the bottom of that problem and solve it from there." The gestures Gumball was making with his arms painted a rough sketch of what he was referring to, giving Nicole a semblance of an indication. "But you eventually find that it gets too hard, maybe even impossible."

"So, say a marriage counsellor?" asked Nicole, shrugging back at her son in hopes that she may be able to help.

"Yeah, a marriage counsellor. We'll go with that example. So if you're a marriage counsellor, and the couple you're talking to is in a very rough patch. By the looks of it, one of them could very well be filing a divorce soon. As the marriage counsellor, you don't have a lot of options to choose. Did you ever find yourself in a situation like that?"

Nicole left her eyes as agape as an open door. First, her son asked her about the meaning of happiness and whether or not she was happy in life. And now this?

"Not in recent memory, no," she answered honestly, her mind coming up blank. "Er, sure I've had a few tough customers at work, but nothing close to what you've described."

"Oh."

"Sweetie, are you sure nothing's wrong with you?" Nicole leaned further across the table, her concern for her son's well-being manifesting in her body language.

"What do you mean?"

"You've been asking these really odd questions lately. Needless to say, this isn't really quite like you."

Nicole did her best not to mean her question to be the least bit disparaging. When she had said 'really odd', it was synonymous with 'adult' or 'grown-up'. 'Complex'. Arbitary concepts that a twelve year-old should not be concerning himself with. Her first impression was that this was just Gumball entering the first stages of adolescence quicker than she expected him to.

But now she realized it was more than that. She realized that caring for a twelve year-old and a thirteen year-old were anything but similar. Now that he was just nearing that certain age, coddling him was no longer necessary. That treating him more like an adult was what she needed to do rather than treat him like an infant.

Gumball chuckled like it was the most absurd thing ever said. "I okay, Mom. Why wouldn't I be? I'm just asking."

"Okay, okay. Is there someone you know who's like that?" Nicole pulled herself back and folded her arms. She looked at her son as if she were looking at a giant vault in a bank, figuring out the combination to unlock it. "Unless… Are _you_ the one trying to fix something? Are you in trouble with someone? Larry? Mister Robinson? Someone from your school?"

"No, no. I'm not in trouble with anyone," replied Gumball, shaking his head wildly at the accusation. "Let's say that a friend of mine is the one in trouble, and I want to help them as much as I can." It took a while, but the precise set of words he wanted to say finally came to him.

"Then in that case, I think it's nice of you to lend a helping hand." Nicole's warm smile was back in its rightful place. "But you have to realize exactly how far you can go."

"As in…"

"As in sometimes, it's not in your position to do the fixing. A lot of people's problems started with them, and most of the time, they'd prefer to take care of it themselves. Poke your nose into someone's business instead of your own, and you run the chance of ruining whatever you and your friend have between each other. And…" Nicole clamped her finger, effectively putting a stop to her dissertation. A new collection of thoughts arose inside of her head to add a layer of emotional exertion for her.

"And what? What is it, Mom?"

The thoughts that swarmed her were that of her and her late father. Of their unceremonious falling out following her decision to marry Richard and drop out of college. Of the several fights that the two of them had between then and the day that she gave birth to Gumball, which in her father's eyes softened the blow by a large margin.

She didn't know why they spontaneously decided to dawn in the back of her mind. Usually they had a reason for emerging, but she couldn't pinpoint why then. Or maybe it was there, hidden in plain sight.

"And sometimes, we just have to stop trying to fix what's already broken. We have to stop picking up the pieces of glass and putting them back together, or else we'll only hurt ourselves even more."

Gumball took these words to heart, along with Nicole's gradually breaking voice. Along with her degrading composure, her frame of mind failing her by the second. He squinted and was in shock to see a pond of tears building up on his mother's eyes.

Nicole covered her mouth with her paw. With her other paw, she hid her misty eyes.

She warded off the impending tears, but a single sniffle gave them away. Damn it, the feline mother thought.

Seeing his mother wipe the corner of her eye and facing the wall to her left, Gumball held on to his own composure as best as he can. From his seat, he took to Nicole's chair and placed a paw on her shoulder.

"Mom?" said Gumball, his features softening. Giving Nicole a delicate, tender rub on the back. "Mom? Are _you_ alright?"

"Yeah, I am. I will be," Nicole answered, smiling a fragile smile. Lips and nose quivering. Another sniffle passing. "So… Is there a friend of yours that's in need of help at the moment?"

 _Yes_. That was what Gumball uttered in his mind. But that was not what came from his mouth. Instead, it was a blunt, seemingly detached, "No."

* * *

" _Care to tell me what the deal is, Remy?" asked Gumball as he picked up a stone to skip on the lake. The farthest it could go was four skips before submerging into the water._

 _Remy was next to throw. This was part of a game that the human had just started. "What deal?" Two skips – Gumball's point._

" _You know what I'm talking about. Why do you insist on keeping everyone in the dark?"_

" _Put yourself in my shoes, and then you'll understand."_

 _The second stone that Gumball picked up was not as smooth as the last one, but tossed it to the lake, anyway; once he chose a stone, he had to settle with it. The stone plummeted directly underwater._

" _Y'know, for someone who insists on giving the benefit of the doubt, you're not doing a very good job at it."_

 _Remy took his turn and tossed a stone with a smoother surface. Five skips. He and Gumball were tied, both at one point a piece. He sat by the shore, his face dour and sharp._

" _I'm only being cautious," the human rationalized, tucking his knees into his chest. His stare narrowed even more, the conversation yielding bitter memories in the depths of his head._

" _Call it whatever you want, but I say you're being a little bit biased." Gumball's third stone was the best he had thrown so far – six skips that were reasonably far apart from each other. "It's not exactly rocket science. This town, it doesn't even have its own public holiday. That'll be one of the first things to change around here."_

 _The human rose from his spot to take another turn. He toyed with his chosen stone for a moment before sending it hopping – six skips, that time. "That's the town's problem, not mine. And it may not be rocket science, but this whole thing isn't clear cut, either."_

 _Fed up, Gumball groaned and threw his arms in the air. "There you go again. You keep saying it's not clear cut, but you're not telling me why. You're leaving out important stuff again, and to be frank, it's starting to get old."_

" _Just take a stone and toss it into the water," said Remy half a second later, forcibly changing the topic. His temper wearing thin._

" _No. I am done playing." Gumball approached the human and shot him a penetrating glare. His right paw clenched into a fist and shook as if possessed. "I have kept my mouth shut for this long now, all because you asked me to. All without me asking or being able to get a word in edgewise."_

 _After fiddling with a stone he had picked up a second ago, Remy dropped it back to the ground. He sighed, shut his eyes and swayed his head to the side, a completely separate person from who he usually was. Removed. Incompliant. Monotonous in how he conducted himself._

 _Meanwhile, Gumball's own annoyance towards the human was threatening to subdue his better judgment. His fists were clenched and trembling, and he threw his arms up and let out a yell to release a portion of his frustration. He walked to and fro, in circles, the chasm inside of him wider than it was._

" _If I really as important to you as you say I am, then you'd let me get to the bottom of what's bothering you," the cat declared, staring the human boy dead in the eye. Or rather, the side of his face. "If what you told me that afternoon was true, you'd let me help you! Because the fact of the matter is, I want to help you, Remy. Yeah, in case you haven't figured that out, there you go! It's been like that ever since I've had that stupid image stuck in my head."_

" _Okay, okay." Remy raised his hands in surrender, reluctantly turning to look into Gumball's feline eyes. "Since you want it so bad, and since there's no helping it, I_ will _show you. Hopefully this will clear the air."_

" _It had better."_

 _Emerging from out of the blue was a zipper, and Remy began to undo it. As the rift opened, a sickly pale light peered from the gap. The human led Gumball into the opening before stepping into it himself. The veil of light before their eyes dissipated, and the two children's bodies had become transparent._

 _They were back in Remy's home. To be more precise, the living room. A monochromic recreation of it. Catherine sat upon the rocking chair, sewing a hat made of cotton with the most delicate of touches. Bernard walked from one of the passages carrying a pair of tea cups with him. The married couple had the same look on their faces. Empty. Blank. Indecipherable. It teetered between joy and misery, never settling for one side._

 _Only when they heard the creaking of their door did that stale mask shift. Entering the house was young Julia, greeting her parents by running into their arms for an embrace. Catherine and Bernard welcomed their daughter home, and the former began to ask where Remy was, only to cut herself off mid-sentence. Having temporarily forgotten one crucial detail._

 _But their expressions had already reverted. In place of their warmth was a grim despair that pervaded the air around them. That found its way into Gumball's system. Remy was not affected in the slightest, having foreseen the outcome._

 _Gumball suppressed his shock by putting a paw over his mouth. The feline felt Remy pulling him by his unoccupied arm._

" _Follow me," whispered the human somberly, his face remaining the same._

 _Remy led his friend to the door. Outside the house, Gumball had to keep himself composed whilst compiling a list of the numerous changes in his environment. Upon exploring every inch, every mile, every acre of the town, he came to the most obvious conclusion. The Elmore he was standing in had transformed._

 _The place had literally become something of a paradise. Buildings had been renovated and looked nothing like they used to. Every front lawn of every house was alive with fresh cut grass, some sporting their respective assortments of flowers, from hydrangeas to daffodils to magnolias to camellias. A smooth road had been paved along the dirt ground. Standing at the very heart of the town was an elaborately crafted fountain with children splashing each other with water._

 _The famine that swept all over Elmore, across the country, has long since gone. Not a single trace of it could be seen. Destitution was a thing of the past. Color had returned to the once proud and glorious town. A sight such as this was not out of place in a painting or a portrait._

 _Gumball wandered across the town and breathed in every last drop it had to offer. Elmore had always been bandied as 'one of a kind', but this was taking it to a whole new level. These were simpler times, and as one adage put it, 'less is more'. For how straightforward the place looked, it didn't take away the beauty, the rapture. Elmore was what it was_ because _of its simplicity._

 _Over at the distance, Remy waved both his hands at Gumball. The human stood on one of the steps of the old government building, which was also refurbished. Gumball answered the summon and raced to where his friend stood. Both of them took a seat, perching their hands and paws on top of their knees._

" _This was after the famine," Remy started. "Take a good look around you, Gumball. Soak it all in. Notice anything?"_

" _Everybody's…happy?" the cat guessed._

" _Yup. Everybody…_ Almost _everybody."_

 _Around the same time that Remy uttered that sentence, Catherine and Bernard were being carried to the front of the fountain by a horsedrawn coach. Cradled in Catherine's arms was little baby Monty, fast asleep with his thumb in his mouth. When the carriage came to a halt, the couple disembarked and began making their way to the nearby bank. They both wore their nigh-eternal frowns, which saw little to no variation. Though it did not put a damper on the other townspeople, it made them stick out like a sore thumb._

 _Behind them, Julia followed suit, her temperament better than her parents, if only by a margin. Putting on a smile that could disappear from out of the blue._

" _Hmph," scoffed Remy, averting his eyes from his mother and father. "I've seen all I need to see…"_

" _Remy…" said Gumball, relaxing his legs and allowing them to stretch out._

" _There's one last thing I have to show you."_

 _A snap of the human's finger opened a cavity in space. The gaping hole transported him and Gumball to a completely different setting. Gumball recognized this intersection. He recognized this Elmore as his own. Everything in his surroundings was saturated in color, like a child filling out a drawing with a set of crayons._

 _On one end of the intersection, a minivan carrying a family of five was approaching the two children. The traffic lights switched from amber to red, forcing the vehicle to stop. Urging the father to look at the rearview mirror and then his watch. He tapped the steering wheel rapidly with his fingers, complaining that the lights should still be green if there are no other cars incoming._

 _Hearing his words clear as day, Remy palmed his face and clapped his hand twice. The traffic lights reversed their cycle, going from red to amber to green in a second. A blast of gasoline erupted from the minivan's muffler, and the vehicle darted along the asphalt, as if possessed. With its own sentience. Leaving behind a pair of long, fiery skidmarks in its wake._

 _From the opposite side of the street, a seventeen year-old Marvin Finkleheimer was hard at work trimming the hedges of his front lawn. He'd pause from time to time to wipe off the sheet of sweat building on his brow and see how much he had left. In his mind, he wished for even one flower to blossom among the hedges, or anywhere in his lawn for that matter._

 _Remy's heart pulsated from reading the musings of the red blob of a young man. He acquiesced his wishes and, with two more claps of his hands, commanded an overgrowth of flowers both common and uncommon to American soil. From marigolds to daisies to camellias to geraniums._

 _Marvin, flinching from and speechless at the sight of the freshly bloomed flowers, hurried towards the bush and caressed the one nearest to him. The texture of the camellia petals were like a feather on his fingers. Delicate and soft. Seeing at least one flower emerge from this bush was more than he ever asked for, but this… This was beyond his wildest imagination._

 _Swelling with ecstasy, the teenager screamed for his mother as much as his lungs allowed. Out the front door came a woman with a single-colored, blob-like profile much like Marvin's, only she was taller, middle-aged and was fuchsia as opposed to his red. She stepped down the staircase and to where her son was. The fully-bloomed bushes left her spellbound in a second flat._

 _Both Finkleheimers knelt on the ground to admire the floral bounty that was before them. Marvin then retrieved a flower pot from inside his house, and he and his mother began picking out the ones that appealed to them the most. He chose the camellias, while she preferred the exotic dahlias._

 _On another household adjacent to theirs, a gray rat the same age as Marvin, give or take, watched the Finkleheimers' bonding and newfound abundance of flowers whilst mowing his front lawn. He looked on with disdainful, envious eyes, gritting his teeth, clenching his paws into fists until the handle of his push mower dug past their pads._

 _Gumball analyzed this boy's appearance. His whiskers, his fur, his prominent ears… It couldn't be. But it was._

 _From the window of the house peered another rat. He moved away from the window, the door opening to show him as much older, also middle-aged. Putting on a smile, he made for the younger rat to give him a pat on the head. To tell him job well done and not to worry about what he didn't have. The name that this man called his son by sealed the deal…_

 _This rodent kid… This was Frankie Watterson. This was Gumball's grandfather on his father's side before he became a grandfather. Before he started a family that he had inexplicably left behind. Yet for some reason, looking at Frankie the teenager wasn't the same as looking at Frankie the deadbeat grandfather, the con-man, the unfaithful husband._

 _When Gumball saw his great grandfather giving his son those loving gestures, the reason was all the clearer. Apart from his envy towards the Finkleheimers—which was strictly between both him and Marvin; Mrs. Finkleheimer always gave him a smile and a wave when she saw him—this was a happy point in time for Frankie. His father praised him for his hard work and asserted himself as a dutiful parent, giving straightforward yet still sagely advice to his son. Advice that he would take to heart. That he would put into effect._

 _It brought a warmth inside of Gumball to see a tranquil seen such as this. It also boggled him as to why Frankie himself couldn't be as dutiful as his father was. Why he chose to go down the path in life that he wound up in._

" _To make a long story short," said Remy, transporting him and Gumball to a vast, empty space where a cluster of stars twinkled. Breaking his feline friend out of his pondering. "This is how it's always been with me. Shaping the very thread of what is real and what is not according to what I see fit. Breathing life into the town, the world, that you know. Day in and day out, without ever knowing rest."_

 _Multiple spatial rips opened in front of the two children. They showed a different otherworldly occurrence, all of which Gumball knew of or experienced first-hand. They resembled one of those piles of TV sets you see on display in a department store or electronics shop, except they didn't give off the vibe that they were monitoring your every move. Every aspect of your life as it was in motion._

 _Gumball was able to name a few of these happenings off the top of his head._

 _The fabric of reality being torn in two as his father Richard worked as a pizza delivery person._

 _The exorcism of his jealousy towards his classmate Leslie._

 _The tempest summoned by another classmate, Masami Yoshida._

 _The outbreak of a happiness-spreading disease at Elmore Junior High._

 _These were only a small fraction. These spatial openings cycled between these scenes in a neverending loop._

" _I've brought joy, grief, laughter, despair, confusion wherever I could," Remy continued, touching his finger at the center of the collection of scenes. Sending a ripple across them, as if they were a body of water. "I've put smiles, frowns, scowls on many faces. Just like I hoped I would. It's the utopia that I've always had in mind. A utopia where fantasy and reality are one and the same."_

 _To Gumball, this sounded like Remy was under an obligation. An agreement with a higher power to do a task that he was appointed._

" _And…you seem to have a problem with this. Your wish came true, didn't it?" asked Gumball, moving over to where Remy stood._

 _Remy scoffed, folding his arms. "What wish? You mean this one?"_

 _As he sent forth another ripple, the openings in space converged to form a single, large cavity that presented the human's family going about their respective business. Catherine preparing dinner, Bernard reading his paper, Julia scribbling on a sheet of paper, and Montgomery fast asleep in his crib._

 _Gumball made his observation on this presentation. He noted that the house was altered from what he last saw of it: the furniture more decorated, the clothes worn by the family more lavish, and so forth. While the house has been transformed, Remy's family had not. Each of them were deliberate in what they did, and they performed each action with but a neutral mask. A countenance detached from the world around them._

" _Let me ask you a question, Gumball," said Remy, bitterness creeping in. A serpent latching its coils onto its victim. "If you gave someone a present for their birthday or for Christmas, and you later find that the person hasn't once used that present, what would that make you feel?"_

" _Disappointed, I guess." Gumball nudged a shoulder._

" _Won't you be mad, though?"_

" _Sure, I will."_

" _That doesn't sound very convincing at all."_

" _What do you want me to say, then?"_

" _I'm not trying to get you to say something specif"—Remy swiftly through his hands up to prevent his train of thought and the topic from derailing—"You know what? Let me stop and be straightforward. That's what you want, right? So here goes! I had my ideals, even when I was too young to even have any. I wanted to make a change. I wanted to help as best as I can, make people happy, starting with my family. I figured that this whole 'immortality' and 'world is my oyster' business was going to be the best thing that could ever happen to me. To us."_

 _The human paused to clamp his hand over his mouth and fight off the desire to sob; he'd done plenty of that in one day. A teardrop almost slunk between his eyelids, but he held them back._

 _A resonance echoed within Gumball, like a gong being struck with a mallet._

" _But no matter what I did, what I gave to Elmore, my family never once appreciated what I've done! I would have accepted so much as a smile! But they never did… Day in and day out, they visited my grave, and when they weren't there, they still moped anyway. I didn't want them to dwell on what already took place! I didn't want them to mourn for me! All they needed was right in front of them! Yet they could not see that!" Remy slammed a fist against the giant screen, causing it to shatter into a clutter of shards that instantaneously vanished. "Do you have any idea how that feels? Do you? DO YOU?" The human was shouting now, bearing his heart, his soul to Gumball, in their plainest form. Cascades fell from his two eyes, streaming down his cheek._

 _Gumball reeled from his friend's fury, from this unprecedented show of vulnerability. He tried his darnedest to find the cheerful human child he met that day, but not a small trace of him was visible. This child he was speaking to, this was still Remy. Just not the Remy he was so acquainted with. Not the sort of Remy he thought he'd ever see, or ever wanted to see again._

" _So what good was all this to begin with?" Remy resumed his shouting, spreading his arms to point at nothing in particular. Nothing but the wide-open space they were standing in. "What good was there in trying to change the world when the people you hold dear the most aren't the least bit grateful for the gift you've given them?"_

" _What about the rest of Elmore?" said Gumball, putting an arm over Remy's shoulders. "They're happy. That counts, right?"_

" _Oh, please. Don't even get me started on them." Remy gently removed his friend's arm, appreciating the effort to console him. Wiping the tears from his face. "A bunch of ingrates, all of them. It was nice to lend a helping hand the first few times, but after helping the same unappreciative leech the thirtieth time around, it loses its luster. The last person in this hunk of rock was right. That's what the whole world is, really. Nothing but unappreciative leeches who just take, take, take and take until you grow completely sick of it."_

 _That must have been why Remy was so reluctant in working his wonder for those people in town, Gumball thought. Why he palmed his face at every possible opportunity and was flat-out removed of his typical zeal._

 _A passing thought fleeted amidst all others. He wondered if possibly, in theory, that Frankie fell into that category of people Remy said. If perhaps he used his grandfather as an example of those so-calleed 'unappreciative leeches'. Not that he was wrong in that regard._

 _The spatial rifts opened once more, showing a different set of fantastic events that Gumball was not familiar with. Remy willed these cavities to emerge so as to prove what he meant. On each of these scenarios, not one person was shown to be the slightest bit happy, always grumbling about the most trivial things._

" _As long as I am awake, as long as I am keeping watch over everything, I have no choice but to cater to every whim. It's made me tired. I'm very tired of it all." Remy sat on the unseen ground beneath him, tucking his knees into his chest. Burying his face in them. "That's why I eventually disappeared without a trace. I left this world to its devices. I had no place in it anymore. I just wanted to rest."_

 _Something in that phrase—'no place in this world anymore'—touched one of Gumball's raw nerves. It ground his ears as it entered them. Perhaps it was the disillusionment behind it, or it was the phrase itself—its cruel bluntness—or both. That sort of mindset irked him. Knowing that people bore that mindset irked him further._

 _At the end of the day, regardless of how big or small you were in any aspect of life—wealth, social standing, upbringing, education—your being in this world was no accident. Nothing, no person or thing, could take away that right from you. Those were one of his mother Nicole's nuggets of wisdom, which he held in his beating chest firmly._

" _Now do you understand, Gumball?" asked Remy, pinching his nose slightly and sniffling. Wiping the corners of his eyes. "Do you see now why I've been keeping my mouth shut? I can't put my faith in anything anymore… That is, until you came along. Until you proved to me that there's a diamond in the rough. That's why I said you're something else."_

 _Gumball gave the slightest nod and gazed at the screens. He heard his mother's words echoing yet again in his head. He heard her talk of happiness. How she said that it was a choice that people had to make for themselves. That you couldn't force it down upon others._

 _If there was ever a person that he should impart this wisdom to, it was this child. This human boy with his visions of grandeur, his all-too misguided perceptions on the workings of the world.._

 _Taking a seat next to the human, Gumball breathed in the mild air around him, his very being cleansed of its chaff. Remy's state of mind turned out to be more volatile, more delicate, than the blue cat was hoping for. If he played his cards wrong, it would fracture him further._

" _Hey," said Gumball, smiling warmly at the human. "If it makes you feel any better, what you did"—he didn't have it in him to say the 'd' word, concerned that it might have reopened old wounds—"wasn't for nothing." He'd made his choice; he'd save his mother's words for another day. This was not the time for that._

" _Really?"_

" _You might not like to talk about it too much, but you_ have _changed a lot of lives."_ And made mine possible _, Gumball mused. "Your family would have been proud."_

" _Hmph. 'Would have been proud'…" Remy sniffled as a smile surfaced on his countenance. It was small, unsteady, but it was better than nothing._

" _Remy, I didn't mean it that way—"_

" _I know what you mean, Gumball. It's alright. Honest. Phew… That's another weight off my chest. To tell you the truth, it feels pretty nice. I'm kinda glad you kept pushing me."_

" _So am I. And I swear to you, on my grave, if you want me to keep my mouth shut, you got it. These lips are sealed." Gumball dragged his fingers across his pursed lips. At first, it looked to be but an imitation of closing a zipper, but his mouth really was shut the same way a zipper was._

 _Remy laughed, conquering his tears. For the time being, his grief was put at bay. "Can I ask you another question?"_

 _Gumball unsealed the zipper over his mouth. "Shoot."_

" _Think of someone very close to you. What would you give to put a smile on that person's face?"_

 _For the person close to him, that one was a no-brainer. He drew a hasty, yet articulate picture of her. Her glistening golden frame, her antlers, her wings, her smile, her laughter, the spots of red on her cheeks._

 _As for the question, it was interesting. One that he hadn't given much consideration until now…_

 _He smiled at the picture he had drawn. He smiled harder, wider, than he'd done so in recent memory, dwelling on the musing fondly. Pondering on his darling as a lovestruck couple does, minus the overdose of that syrupy, saccharine junk that such a couple fell victim to. No mushy baby talk, no hyper-exaggerated looks on faces, just her. The pleasantness of being by her side._

* * *

On the Saturday of that week, Penny invited Gumball for a movie marathon over at her house. They took turns in choosing what movies to watch. Penny's selection was of the milder variety: slice of life, drama and romance. Gumball's choices were noticeably wilder: action-driven, mostly involving superheroes, with the occasional comedy that kept the mood from being overly dark.

They were past the halfway point of Penny's second film, which was about a high school student with a less-than-stellar profile—glasses, a knee-high skirt, a cardigan over her olive school uniform—which naturally made her run-of-the-mill. To compensate for that, she had amazing singing voice that she usually kept to herself, so as to avoid the possibility of dragging her nonexistent reputation among her peers to the ground. Seemed to be the standard fare for these 'teen drama'-ish types of movies. The plot of the film would go into motion after she'd land a gig at a nearby coffee club, performing alongside a band that played there often.

Gumball glued his eyes to the television set during a scene of the girl's recent performance – her official debut as a singer at the coffee club. Jazz music was a genre he didn't always here, but he had to admit that it has a nuance to it that couldn't be matched by any other genre. The sounds from the brass instruments, smooth and refined like wine. The girl's voice, commanding and powerful, especially as she cut loose on the stage.

Soon the musical number came to an end, and the band was met with a standing ovation. Wide-eyed, the girl gasped at the praise she was given, having never witnessed it before in her life. Relishing the cheering, the clapping, the whistling.

Gumball chuckled to himself, finding hilarity in how much the filmmakers were milking this scene for all it was worth. Making note of the close-ups of the girl's teary-eyed smile and waving of her hand at the audience. _That's so much cheese, I bet it'll feed an entire family of mice for a year_ , he mused humorously. Had there not been this many close-ups, had the expressions on the girl's face been a little less exaggerated, he'd have an easier time getting invested.

Penny, on the other hand, _was_ invested in the film, and quite easily at that. As the protagonist's heart melted, so did hers. As the tears came to the girl's eyes, hers were also wet. As the patrons of the coffee club rose from their seats in uproarious applause, she too clapped fervently.

The idea of cracking a quick little joke at this arose in the back of Gumball's head, but he thought better of it and didn't follow through on it. Rather, he clapped along with his shapeshifter girlfriend, except his enthusiasm was more controlled. He'd grin as he applauded, and nothing more.

"Always gets me, that scene," Penny commented, reining in her emotions.

"No kidding," Gumball retorted, cracking the jab without meaning it to outright get her goat, if at all.

In defense of the filmmaker behind the movie, it wasn't turning out to be bad. So far, it seemed harmless. A little bit on the 'been there, done that' side, but it did what it was setting out to do quite well. The music, as he'd noted a while ago, was well done.

Another half hour in, and the film credits were now rolling. The run time would clock in at an hour and twenty minutes, not including the credits.

Penny clicked the eject button on the DVD player's remote, putting the disc back in its proper case. Gumball searched the pile of movies he'd brought over with his paw and ended up with the recently released adaptation of the Captain Punch comics. The movie had a PG-13 rating on its case, but it did not bother the two children in the least. They were certain that they had the maturity and tolerance to endure what the movie had to throw at them.

News regarding the film circulated the Internet before its release in theaters, stating that the director ordered several changes to be made to the film so it wouldn't get a much higher classification. Such content would be reserved for bonus features or a director's cut or an extended edition.

The copy that Gumball brought with him was the standard, theatrical release copy. While it would have been nice to see the omitted footage, he wasn't going to complain. One of his personal favorite icons in comic books finally found his way into the big screen. And he was mere moments away from sharing his icon with his dearest. That was all that mattered.

Gumball inserted the disc into the player and sat back on his spot at the sofa, when all of a sudden he recalled his conversation the night prior. The night that Remy confessed the extent of his secrecy. The extent of his damaged state.

Damaged. Broken…

…but not irreparable.

He recalled how furious he was when he made that confession. When he claimed that all he wanted to do was save his family, his town, from destitution. From the plague that had befallen them.

The last piece of the memory that came to his head was the question the human left him in the end. He deliberated on the question—each word, each syllable—and looked at Penny wistfully. As if she were five meters away from him as opposed to five inches. As if she was slipping from his grasp. He took in her smile. Drunk it in.

What he would give to preserve that smile… The lengths he would go to bring her joy… What he would do to have her by his side, in his arms… He was under the impression that he had it figured out. That his answer was obvious.

But then again, everything always has a layer of complication to them. Something that requires more careful consideration than meets the eye. If these issues truly were clear cut, then someone like Sussie would have no problem changing a light bulb on her own.

"What? What is it?" said Penny, giggling from her boyfriend's unannounced staring.

"Don't worry. It's no big deal," said Gumball, but his tone of voice begged to differ.

"Now now, Gumball. What did we both agree on? Do you remember?" Penny turned on her side of the sofa, tucked her legs in and clamped her clasped hands between them.

 _Spill the beans, or they'll go bad. Yeah, I remember_ , a voice in Gumball's mind uttered. The blue feline motioned for the remote, which Penny unquestioningly gave to him. He pushed the mute button and faced her with his feet crossed and tucked under him.

"You know I'm always right here if you need me, don't you, Penny?" started Gumball wearily.

Penny let out another giggle, bringing her right hand across her upper lip. "I know that, my champion," she said in jest, though Gumball wished she'd take him seriously.

"Whatever we're facing, we don't have to face it alone." His tongue took on a solemnity that the shapeshifter hadn't seen since she broke free from her shell permanently. "You know I'd go to the ends of the earth and back for you."

"Yes, I know that. I think I've got the message loud and clear. You can count on me too, Gumball. If that's what you're thinking…" She left a peck on his cheek and caressed her hand down his face. She expected him to repay the act in kind, like he always did.

Softly he parted her arm away from his face and put his paws on top of her hand. "No, no. If I…" He hesitated, the words falling from his tongue back into his throat.

Vivid pictures surfaced in Gumball's mind in a continuous slideshow. They were of Remy. Of the life he used to have, beginning with his blissful days with his family and ending with his grave. The cat then imagined himself in place of the human, and his family substituting for Remy's. By the time he arrived at the tombstone, he erased his friend's name and inscribed his own.

A shiver ran down his spine.

"What is it?" asked Penny, the look of unease on her boyfriend becoming hers as well.

"If I… did something ridiculous, like say took a bullet or a knife…"

"Gumball, what—" A flustered Penny removed her hand from Gumball's.

"If I were to die, whether today or in a week, a month or a year, whether because I was killed or I wanted to—"

"Hey! What's all this about?" The initial bewilderment that caught Penny off-guard rapidly metamorphosed into fear. A pervasive fear that in turn became a part of a deadlier mixture of emotions. An amalgamation of fear, anger and grief.

"Okay, that's not really a good analogy. Here, how about this…? Say that we're on board the ship in that movie you showed me. Once we hit that iceberg, I'm the one who gives you that door to float on, while I…" Gumball relented, preventing his explanation from leaving any more adverse effects on the shapeshifter girl.

Too late. The damage had already been done. He'd made it worse, even after putting it into terms that she'd be more accustomed with. He could tell from Penny becoming more and more teary-eyed, from how her lips trembled.

"Stop it…" she whispered, finding difficulty in maintaining her composure. Adding inside of her head, _Please, Gumball. Stop._ She repeated to herself again and again, almost as if she were chanting it, that this was not like Gumball at all. That she wasn't speaking to Gumball, period.

But then again, they did swear to open themselves to each other when they felt like they needed to. This scared her even more. The genuineness, the unabashedness, the bluntness, in him speaking of these notions. These musings of death.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is… If I gave my life for you, maybe it wouldn't be so bad…"

And then he felt it. A thunderous wave rippling along his fur. His skin, his nerves. The suddenness of it made him flinch, and his eyes had closed for too long that he couldn't see the cause of it. Not to mention that his face had been forcefully averted to the side. To his right.

It wasn't whiplash. The impact wasn't strong enough to be that severe. But it was still strong, regardless. He gingerly pried his eyes open. The first thing he saw was Penny's right arm, and a seething, feral, misty stare on Penny's face. He then touched his left cheek, where a residual sensation immediately followed.

On the television screen, he spotted a reflection of himself, with a pronounced red welt on that same cheek. No one would have guessed that Penny packed one heck of a punch.

But she did.

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" screamed Penny. Another thing Gumball noted was that she hadn't transformed. She had finally attained complete control over them. "Is that what you're trying to do?"

"Penny, I…" said Gumball, flustered by it all. By what had possessed him to say what he'd just said, by his girlfriend's slap. "I didn't mean to…"

"I don't want to hear it!" Penny's voice, like the rest of her person, was crumbling. "I don't want to hear any more of it!"

"But I just…" _Real smooth, Gumball_ , he berated himself.

Without any foreshadowing, Penny lunged at Gumball with arms wide open. She wrapped him in her embrace, sobbing quietly. Uncontrollably. Resting her head on his sweater. Doing everything in her power to expel every thought of this conversation out of her system.

"Please don't think like that, Gumball," she told him amidst her crying and sniffling.

Acting on his instinct, Gumball returned the embrace in kind, caressing his darling on the back of her head. Deriving comfort from her touch, just as he himself gave comfort to her.

So this was what would have happened if everything were to have gone that way. If this was really how everything would have turned out in the end. This was the only thing that would have awaited him at the end of the road…

* * *

So close, yet so far… He'd heard it so many times that it eventually became synonymous with every aspect of his life. Just when what he was searching for was within his grasp, some unceremonious turn of events would wrest it from him. The farther he traveled, the farther the destination got away.

Tonight, that was going to change. He'd see to it that it did, or risk throwing away all his efforts for nothing.

He edged closer to the end of the branch he was on, carefully shifting his weight so he wouldn't fall and attract any unwanted attention. He looked into the binoculars dangling from his neck. Past a window just near him, Gumball Watterson was fast asleep on his bed, tucked in the comfort of his blanket. So too were his two siblings, the little pink rabbit on the top bunk, and the walking goldfish snug in his bowl.

As far as he knew, this was the only window into this one room. This vantage point didn't offer that good a view. But he wasn't ready to give up now. Not by a longshot. He inched into the tree for a better angle. Nope. Still no good.

The door to the room creaked open, making way for a second blue cat carrying with her a glass of warm milk. She laid it down on the nightstand, next to the fish bowl. A thin stream of steam rose from the glass and wafted all over the room. Gumball's nose flickered, picking up on the scent. The rest of his features shifted, his body turning to its side. His mother left a peck on his cheek, but not before giggling at her son's childish reflexes.

Amidst his observation, he sensed the branch bobbing up and down underneath him. He saw the cracks on the tree, the weight beneath him diminishing, and fast. The cracks widened the longer he sat on the branch, the noises louder.

Until there was nothing…

Nothing but a stabbing pain on his spine, and maybe a misaligned bristle on his head or two. Despite the pain, he crawled as quick as possible to a nearby bush to avoid detection.

Inside the room, Nicole took to the window and scoured the sleepy suburb for the source of the sound, ears perked and stiff. She saw the dismembered branch at the bottom, the leaves that lay scattered around it. One of the bushes on her front lawn rustled. She'd be damned if it was another intruder. For what was meant to be a quiet part of Elmore, it saw more unsolicited activity than it needed to.

She made her way out the house and inspected her lawn. She parted the bush to either side, but found no one there. The rustling had long since stopped. It couldn't have been the wind. The breeze was too mild.

 _Get it together, Nicole_ , she mused, paws balled into fists. Face and mind both straining. _Breathe in, breathe out. It's no big deal. This is just the stress talking._ The stress that came with the balancing act that was her everyday life. _You're above that, and you need to show this stress you're above that. Show it who's boss._

One final exhale, and she then reentered her house, deciding that her energies were better spent elsewhere.

Emery, too, breathed from the sheer relief that came with narrowly slipping past those murderous eyes. He leaned against the tool shed behind him, his heart accelerating from having to move around so quickly. It could not beat any faster if he tried; it would have leapt out of his chest if it did.

His temporary respite ended as the pain from his fall was registered on his mind for a second time. Some of his bristles fell to his face, partially obscuring his face. If he could describe the fall itself, he'd compare it to being smashed in between two speed trucks.

But injuries happen. Falls happen. He'd take another one, if he needed to. All to get everything back…

All to get back what he had lost. To relive those good old days, where he was but an impressionable young man with the world awaiting him. Those days where his cares were behind him, where his idealism was as wide as the sky, as the sea. Those days that were taken from him by the hands of time.

For the time being, he laid down on the grass, resting his head on top of his hands. The least he could do is get some much needed rest to let his injury heel and stop his mind from totally slipping off the edge. The cool of the night wormed past his skin, yet he opted to endure it anyway. The pleasant thoughts of having his deepest desires fulfilled—of reclaiming his youthful body, heart and mind—was all he needed. He dwelt on them and drifted off, his eyes fluttering shut.


	18. Time to open the door

_**The Beginning**_

 **by Christopher R. Martin**

Chapter 18 – Time to open the door

* * *

Richard fastened the top button of his shirt and gave himself one last once-over on the mirror before leaving the house. He made his way towards a familiar looking crimson moped parked at the kerb. It bore the Fervidus name, much like the uniform he was wearing now.

As he proceeded down the front lawn, Nicole tailed him from behind. For a goodbye kiss, he assumed. But her hurried pace and wariness seemed to suggest a different reason.

"I'll see you later, Nicole," said Richard, putting on a helmet on his head. Waving goodbye at his wife.

"Richard, wait!" shouted Nicole, to the portly pink rabbit's confusion. She saw his paws on the handlebars and the key in the ignition, and then turned her sights to the sky above. Darting her eyes from here to there. The tension gathering in her soon showed through her troubled breathing and her clenched yet trembling fists.

The management at Fervidus pizza rescinded their initial decision and rehired her husband just last week on account of an oversight of their policy. New employees were to be put under a two-month probation so that a supervisor may evaluate them on their performance. If ever during those two months an employee shows three instances of misconduct, it was then that they were let go.

Richard hadn't had that opportunity during his first tenure. His supervisor at the time, Larry, admitted that firing him on his first day was a hasty move on his part. And all things considered, Richard performed better than what was expected of him that day.

Nicole was typically very receptive of anything new to her. Whether as quick as a minute or as long as a week, she adjusted to change without much difficulty. Some things, however, she could not, and most likely will never get used to or overlook. Richard being a working class man has always been one of those things. And she'd be damned to see the world come to an end because of an insignificant occurrence.

Who knows, though? One week wasn't a very long time in the grand scope of things. There was a chance that her feelings could change, as small as it was. And for now, everything is in one piece. Nothing has fallen apart.

Now that she thought about it, seeing her husband dressed up for a job is rather cute in its unusual way. It could be the helmet pulling his ears down or how the uniform fit him like a glove when it otherwise could have been torn to minuscule pieces by his girth.

She lowered her head as a breath of relief passed from her mouth. She rubbed the bridge of her snout, instructing herself not to be paranoid. To be supportive of her husband's decision, just as he was being supportive of hers.

"Okay, I guess that's that," said Nicole, provoking Richard's confusion even more.

"Honey?" asked Richard, frightened by his wife's odd behavior.

"Yes?"

"Are you alright? Do you need to go back to bed?"

"What? No, I'm good. What makes you say that?" Nicole scratched her head and chuckled sheepishly. "Actually, scratch that. You should get going. Can't afford to be late while you're on probation."

"Okay, then…" said Richard as he revved the throttle of the moped.

Nicole planted a peck on his lips, which urged him to finally leave. She watched the moped take off amidst the thin bank of smoke. The smile she had affected dwindled until it was no more.

She never informed him of the calamity that he caused with his pizza delivery job, nor did it seem like he was aware of it. The most she had said about the disaster were passing comments or indirect questions, none of which her husband had picked up on. It could only mean that he really was blissfully unaware of the damage he had done, and the only sensible thing left to do was to keep him uninformed.

Another thing she didn't disclose to anyone was how she felt during all of it. Anais made a remark about it when she tried to console her, but she was too discombobulated to digest anything at the time. Once the fog of confusion dissipated, she concluded to herself that her daughter might have been right. She had always been the only one keeping this family together. It was always her bringing her children to and from school and wherever they wanted to go. It was always her doing the groceries. It was always her putting food on the table. It was always her making the decisions for her family.

It was always her.

Her.

Her.

In the face of so much adversity, she needed to be strong, which was where her training under Sensei Yoshida came into play. Richard's then-newfound job came with a number of caveats for her. The event made her believe that all the physical, mental and emotional strain she had put herself through would wind up to be for naught. That the respect of her children would up and disappear with this change in the status quo.

Up to now, it remained to be a silly way of thinking. If Richard was capable of being with her every step of the way, then she had no excuse to not do the same for him. If she really loved him, then she'd encourage him to pursue this opportunity.

Upon her reflection of all this, Nicole was able to smile again, now without any worry of it fading away. Her phone vibrated in her pocket, alerting her that she had pondered for too long and to pick up where she left off in her textbooks. Other than college work, today was shaping out to be an ordinary Sunday.

Whilst sauntering back to the house, Nicole heard the bushes to her right rustling. She felt something off in her immediate vicinity and considered inspecting the bushes, but eventually decided not to let a meager blow of the wind spoil a perfectly fine day.

Unbeknownst to her was that the source of her coarse sensation really was lying in wait within the bushes, keeping a close eye at the house.

* * *

"I'm going out, Mom!" said Gumball as he made his way down the stairs.

"Off to see Penny again, sweetie?" Nicole asked, her eyes remaining on the college textbook laid open across the coffee table.

Gumball stalled to come up with a sufficient response, hesitantly putting his paw on the doorknob. "Uh…yeah. Yeah, I am."

Breaking out an endeared smile, Nicole rose from the sofa and proceeded to reach for the telephone near the kitchen. "I'll give her a call to let her know you're coming over."

"No!" cried Gumball. He had caught himself in the nick of time, but now he had his mother's scrutinizing stare to worry about. "I mean…I gave her a call just now. It's all good." The excuse did nothing to abate her suspicion. He needed to leave. "See you later, Mom." Opening the door behind him, he bolted out of the house and to the nearest bus stop.

Nicole reached an arm out at her son, but he was already gone. She could have easily caught up with him, but thought better than to waste valuable energy when it could go into something productive. There was no way that Gumball would be taking his own girlfriend for granted, anyway.

Shrugging the thought away, she sat back down on the sofa and continued with her studies. Focused as she was, a hint of doubt loomed in the back of her head.

In another part of the neighborhood, Gumball sat on a bench by the bus stop sign, head hunched as a deep sigh escaped him. He was regretting using Penny as his get out of jail free card. There were so many other alibis he could have, and should have used, but since it was his mother he was speaking to, he didn't have much of a choice. He needed to convince the woman, which was a feat in and of itself. His only hope was that they'd have it in them to forgive him.

The bus came to a stop by the side of the kerb. Gumball entered with his spare change in his paw, handing it to the driver and taking a seat at the front row. He leaned his head on the window, exchanging looks with his reflection. But it looked more like an old man's reflection than his own.

" _I know you're awake,"_ said Gumball in his mind, his expression dull. _"I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but I'm not a total idiot, either."_

On cue, the Marvelite glowed. _"You're not looking very good, Gumball,"_ said Remy, removed of his contagious optimism. He chose not to bother forcing happiness upon his friend.

" _I'll be fine. I've had worse,"_ said Gumball, perching his head on the flat of his palm. His eyes began to droop.

" _Are you sure?"_

" _A hundred percent,"_ Gumball replied, closing his eyes for the remainder of the ride.

Remy scanned his friend as he slumbered peacefully. Gumball could claim all he liked that he was fine, but he was the complete opposite of 'fine'. He appeared as though he hadn't eaten or slept as much as he should have, bags constantly forming under his eyes and the color of his fur slightly faded from its original blue.

Remy thought about pressing further, but bit his tongue in the end. He instead pondered deeply. The human had imposed himself on the blue cat ever since the day they met. At this rate, the strain on his relationships with his friends and family would only get worse. And for what? A pact he was forced to make with the ghost of a kid who has long since died?

It wasn't fair for Gumball. It wasn't fair for him to jump through so many hoops for someone's sake. It wasn't like he had much of a choice.

Well, he did. He could have easily just walked away from this. But he chose not to. Partly because Remy didn't do a very good job making him feel like he had a choice. Like he had any say on the matter. He chose to keep this truth to himself out of his own good will. The kindness that he had taken advantage of from the beginning. And all these lies, all this secrecy, quickly took its toll on him.

He was no better than the people he knew back when he was alive. Those self-serving ingrates who took and took and took from him.

Inside the stone, Remy rubbed the bridge of his nose and breathed a despondent sigh. Years of residing within this realm, shattered beyond recognition, had been undone. Years of resentment towards everything he knew, everything he knew, and the aching in his chest that came with it were swept away gently. The light in the world that he used to know was visible to him once again. He owed it all to Gumball. The least he could do was to repay the favor in kind. To open the door for every other person in Elmore. To give them a chance.

But the possibility of his faith, his innocence being broken a second time around has held him back, and it continued to do so. He had no idea why. Gumball wouldn't ever think of hurting him. He was different. He was exceptional. From the day they first met, he suspected as much. Whether it was by chance or by fate, he was happy to have met him. He was glad to have someone who could fill the void. Someone that could make him whole again.

 _Alright_ , Remy decided. For his feline friend, he would take that first step, which was always the most difficult. It's the least he could do.

Elmore deserved to learn of how it came to be as much as Gumball did.

* * *

Roland Emery held on to the edge of the bus tightly as it traveled from one part of Elmore to the next. The bristles atop his head were being blown by the wind into an unsightly mess. His face bore host to a number of bugs that had collided with him, mostly smeared on his teeth. One of them had found itself ploughing into his right eye, causing him to nearly lose his grip and fall off. And once in a while, he'd be 'treated' to an oncoming bird's…droppings. Thankfully, they didn't find their way into his mouth.

Still and all, these were a few of the small prices he would pay. In spite of his age, he managed to cling to the vehicle for so long. An inner strength born of his determination kept him from falling off.

When the bus came to another halt and every passenger inside started exiting, he knew that was his cue. Gumball was the last one out the bus, going a little off the beaten path compared to everyone else. His path was rocky and uneven, and Emery sighted several signs in the distance that prohibited any further progress.

Hardening his resolve, Emery began his descent from the roof of the bus. Putting one foot out, he carefully shifted himself past the edge, but the landing was not what he hoped for. He had landed on top of the bus driver, clumsily sprawled along the sidewalk. Groaning in frustration and hurt.

As the sensations dissipated from his body, he rose to his feet and dusted himself. The driver, Larry Needlemeyer, shot a perplexed stare at him, wondering if he was the cause of the one huge thud halfway in the journey. Emery flashed a stare back at the boulder-headed man, his eyes burning with an almost primal flame.

"Not a single word," the paintbrush iterated deliberately, lividly. He continued on his way, leaving behind a dumbfounded and speechless Larry rising from the ground and staring on like a deer in headlights.

Emery followed the path that Gumball strode, familiarizing himself with his surroundings. The impact of the fall had him traipsing, and combined with his disheveled presentation, it was easy to mistake him for a zombie. Past the signs he saw from atop the bus roof, he cautiously navigated through the growingly uneven terrain.

As he moved deeper into the area, helmets, pickaxes, oil lamps, minecarts and railway tracks that diverged here and there came into view. Emery took to one route and found himself standing in the mouth of a cave. The darkness inside was thick and swallow anything that would touch it. Its presence before him seemed to tell him to turn back. It was warning him that there was nothing at the end of the road he was traversing.

Emery, now driven more than ever, wasn't ready to turn back.

Inside his pocket, a light began to glow and chime. He took out the object, a piece of Marvelite carved off from the ore he excavated for his museum exhibit. The colors it was giving off sent forth a warmth flowing in him. A reassurance that everything was going to be okay. That the light at the end of the tunnel wasn't far now.

Casting aside the warnings with a single deep sigh, Emery stepped inside the entrance, holding out the stone to act as his source of illumination. As the darkness engulfed him, he quickly found that the only sound within this cavern was that of his own footsteps. More digging tools were scattered along the ground, inside and outside of the tracks.

Even with the importance he had placed in his pursuits, Emery still spared a brief moment to immerse himself in his surroundings and get a feel of what Elmore used to be. The stories he had heard as part of his research didn't lie when they said that the town was once known for its prosperous mining industry. Wherever he looked, there was always a a precious material of some sort, and they came in veins or clumps or shards. Rubies, sapphires, tourmalines, jades, just off the top of his head. Just the smallest fragment of these substances would fetch a handsome price in the market.

Aside from the monetary value of these stones, the most incredible part about what he saw was that they had stayed untarnished throughout the years. Not a single scratch was to be found on their surfaces, and they glistened as if they had been freshly excavated from the earth.

It was a shame. Such beauty and magnificence, unappreciated for generations. Lost in the sands of time. Emery revisited his own former glories fondly. He recalled the days when he was but an idealistic, innocent youth, when everything was perfect. He was firmly convinced that he could make a difference in the world. Like any other young man with a zealous flair, he had many questions to ask, and he was desperate for the answers.

But there was one certain question that had left him unsatisfied up until now. Why do good things come to an end? It wasn't that he didn't find an answer to that. In fact, the answer was the reason why he was unsatisfied.

To this day, Emery remembered the instant he received that answer. He knew it so well that he could reenact it flawlessly. He was sitting on the living room sofa, enjoying a quiet afternoon with his mother and father. Indulging in one of his books. He did not know how or why, but the thought happened upon him and he felt the need to get it out there.

Emery could hear those words so vividly, as if they were being spoken for the first time. His parents explained it to him.

The world was always moving forward. Sooner or later, one way or another, we would have to leave behind certain things. As difficult as it was, there was no other way. Life has always worked that way.

Emery had heard this truth a lot back in the day, but never fully took it to heart. To him, there were some things too important to just discard casually. Letting go of something such as that would have been no different than letting go of oneself.

When he compared his pursuits to what had become of Elmore's claim to fame as _the_ go-to destination for fine minerals, they were no different. His youthful years held some of the best moments of his life, the most notable of them being the day he met Gloria and the day they were both united in holy matrimony. What he wouldn't give to recapture, to bring back those times.

And gazing upon every part of these mines had given him another goal to work towards. It'd be too wasteful for all of this to remain undiscovered.

Emery continued along his way. The darkness grew thicker as the path was coming to a gradual slope. It was a miracle that his lustrous piece of rock could still provide him with sufficient illumination. Voices began to sound in the deeper confines of the mines. He picked up on one of them, making it out to be none other than young Watterson himself. He did not know who the other voice belonged to.

The minecart tracks had come to an abrupt end, cutting off where the slope was noticeably steeper. Nearly losing his balance, Emery grabbed hold of an idle boulder to keep himself from falling. As he clung to the rock desperately, he gazed into the chasm down below. Clusters of Marvelite shone with the same kaleidoscopic light as the one from his shard, except theirs was as brilliant as they were harsh on the eyes.

There he saw him, standing at the center of those masses of the priceless mineral. What was he doing down there?

And where was the second voice coming from?

* * *

"I still have my doubts, Gumball," said Remy, rubbing away goosebumps on his arm. "What if this turns out to be a terrible mistake?"

"It won't," convinced Gumball, who took a seat on the dirt ground and began trailing his claw absent-mindedly along what seemed to be traces of Marvelite dust.

"You're making it sound so easy."

"Oh, come on. You're telling me you can hitch a ride on a minecart and almost get yourself killed, but you can't bring yourself to talk to other people? And just for the record, no, I don't count."

Remy sighed knowing that the cat had a point.

As abundant with blissful moments as his life was, it also bore unpleasant memories for him. Memories that stuck with him alongside the good ones all these years. Feelings of inadequacy, disagreements and squabbles with those he cared about, making all kinds of enemies.

Just a few that he could name off the top of his head were when he doted on Julia at one point after she had turned four years old and first started going to school. He had babied her to a point where her classmates picked up on it and continuously teased her. She'd gotten furious at him, refusing to speak to him for an entire week or even making eye contact with him.

Another was the time that one of his neighbors had played an insidious prank on him that involved lighting a match and putting it under his foot. His idea of retaliation was repaying the act in question in kind by tenfold, and it ended with the poor boy's front lawn being set ablaze, bringing an entire flower bed down to ashes. The neighbor was met with a nasty lecture from his father.

It would have been nastier had Remy not confessed to him and the other boy. The punishment had been divided between the two of them, and they worked together in restoring the devastated flower bed. From then on, they were on better terms, but their instances of trickery and harmless pranking remained with them.

Even so, even with these mistakes that he had made, he accepted them wholeheartedly. By no means was he proud of his blunders, but he made no effort in denying them or hiding them.

His hesitation went beyond just a fear of talking to new people. In his life, Remy grasped many concepts. Joy, happiness, fear, grief, despair, hope, sadness, laughter, anger, desire, jealousy, love. Even if at their most basic definitions, he had a degree of understanding for each of them.

Out of every concept in the world, one had always eluded him. He could not even bring himself to say it, not without feeling a pronounced aversion.

That concept was betrayal.

In his life, Remy had come to learn the value in his loved ones. Through the joy and the pain, the ups and downs, the good and bad, he vowed to be by their side. Come what may, he'd treasure each moment shared as if they were his last. He could not fathom throwing those away or being thrown away. Being left behind as if every second, minute, hour, day spent never truly happened.

It eluded him because he had never witnessed it for himself. The closest that he came to it was his argument with his father about what he had seen in the deepest parts of the mines. No one had been there to take his side. Not his mother, not his sister.

He didn't know what to do. How to act on this sense of abandonment. It transcended everything he had learned of beforehand.

It wasn't until his new life that he experienced the true meaning of betrayal firsthand. He felt it when he watched over them, day in and day out. When they spent each waking second mourning rather than rejoicing. Weeping rather than indulging. Clinging to what had passed rather than making use of the blessing of the present and the foreseeable future.

This wasn't how it was supposed to turn out, Remy always told himself. He was promised happiness and joy for eternity if he could shape the world. Design it according to his vision.

Seeing his family as they grieved instead of enjoying the gift he had given them was the straw that broke the camel's back. It left him more than just devastated. More than just defeated. It felt like an amalgamation of every bitter feeling imaginable. In breathing new life into their world, it came at the cost of his being crushed underfoot.

 _That_ was the real betrayal. Since then, he swore that it would be the last one he ever went through.

Protecting yourself wasn't the same thing as healing. For all he knew, those wounds might have remained this entire time. They might not have healed completely, if at all. The road to recovery was either short and simple or long and complicated. There was much to fix as far as Remy was concerned.

The key was one step at a time, and the first step was always the hardest. Remy placed his hand on his chest and clutched his shirt. His controlled and steady breaths spoke of his misgivings and his willingness. He looked Gumball in the eye, and the sight of him brought back a smile, even if just a shadow of one.

He stepped forward, closing the distance between him and his friend. "Okay, Gumball. I'm ready," he stated in a soft, calm tone.

Gumball lent him both of his paws, the human aligning his hands as accurately as possible in answer. "That's good to hear. You'll be okay, as long as I'm around. Okay?"

"Sure." Remy stared over his friend's shoulder, spotting a bit of dirt falling from the wall at the far back. "You're going to hurt yourself!" he called, to Gumball's bewilderment.

Upon this announcement, the wall rumbled several more times culminating to a violent thud on the ground.

Gumball gazed at that precise spot of impact and heard groaning coming from the cloud of dust. Out of the dirt stood a shadowy figure, movement groggy and unsightly as the pile he rose from. It stepped into the brilliance of the Marvelite, unveiling itself as Mr. Emery. He made for the center, coughing and fanning through the dust. The bristles on his head were misaligned, and his glasses had become bent from the fall. Fortunately, the lenses were not completely shattered.

And when he gently opened his eyes, the wonder of the mineral found their way in them. It was as if gazing at a starry sky. Only better. In pure abundance, it was everywhere in this chasm. Briefly the pain from his violent descent eluded him as the Marvelite's glow welcomed him with open arms.

Never in his years has something been so beautiful to him. It moved him to the verge of tears, but he thought better of it and merely took everything in. He had found what he sought, and he had no regrets.

After regaining equilibrium, he cast his eyes on the two boys before him. Gumball was staring at him with a raised eyebrow, confused and concerned for his well-being. Other than that, he was as healthy as ever.

Then there was the other boy, who distinguished himself with his own bright aura and the transparency of his frame. He cast a smile as a means of welcoming him to this special place. It urged him to step forward. He traipsed to where they stood.

When the ethereal child spoke, it was accompanied by an echo that vibrated throughout the cave and inside of Emery.

"Ah, look who came crashing in," said the boy, giving the paintbrush a short nod. "It's funny that you and I find ourselves in the same place at the same time again isn't it, mister?"

"Again?" Emery staggered.

Remy caught himself with a chuckle, embarrassed by his little goof. "Oh, I'm sorry. Let me stop there before I get ahead of myself. Perhaps we should have a proper introduction." He held out his hand and added, "Remy. A pleasure to meet you."

Emery pondered on the offer. The boy was meaning to give him a handshake, but he probably wasn't aware that he would pass right through him. Then again, he _could_ be aware. He reached his own arm out, anway, and responded with, "Roland Emery. The pleasure's all mine." He made as best an attempt at shaking Remy's hand, implausible as it was. "And what exactly did you mean by 'again'? Have I seen you before?"

"Eh…" Remy hinted sheepishly. "You kinda have." He pointed his finger in a particular manner, to which Emery picked up on and followed. It dawned on him a second after he took out the Marvelite shard from his pocket.

"Wait, you're the one inside the…"

"That's right. I've been keeping an eye on you for a while now. You're the first one in a long time to get your hands on one of those fragments. On a piece of me…"

"A piece of you?" asked Emery, beguiled. Awestruck. Nothing like this was ever documented in the resources he'd gathered. They did not describe the spirit of a child taking residence inside the wondrous mineral.

Remy nodded and continued. "The moment you touched that Marvelite piece, I awoke from my slumber. It was the first time in so long that I've come into contact with the world."

"You were…sleeping?" once more Emery asked, every word from him undoing his frame of mind.

The boy paid him another nod. Emery took note of the quiver on his lips, as though disclosing any of this bore difficulty for him.

"It's a long story," answered Remy, averting his eyes briefly. To his side, the Watterson boy beamed at him warmly for encouragement, which he took heed of and returned with equal warmth. "But I can tell it to you, if you'd like."

His heart swaying to and fro, Emery dwelt on the Marvelite fragment that he was clutching in his hand. This moment was worth ten times more than any piece of information in his books, journals and archives. This boy's knowledge and wisdom transcended that of his resources, as well as his own. He was not of this era. Not of this world. His intuition told him that though they were worlds apart, the boy's world played a role in the creation of this one.

Faster and wilder the paintbrush man's heart swung. This Remy possessed all the answers he sought. Whatever this child said, he took as gospel. They _are_ gospel. But he needed to keep himself calm, cool and collected. He knew better than to merely take and take without thought, without consideration. The least he could afford him was the smallest ounce of decorum, even in a place such as this. _Especially_ in a place as hallowed as this.

Emery knelt to the ground and stared humbly at Remy. As the boy was about to begin his tale, one question arose in the paintbrush's head.

"Before you start, there's one thing I want to know," Emery pushed, raising his hand as if he were an elementary school student seeking his teacher's permission.

"Yes?"

"If you were in there all this time, why didn't you appear before me sooner?"

"It wasn't the right time for me to appear." Remy shook his head. He felt Gumball's paw on his shoulder, see-through as he may be. "But now it is." The two children gave each other a nod. "You came here to seek the truth. You've come to the right place, Mister Emery."

Remy snapped his fingers, and the three of them were transported someplace set apart from the cavern. There they stood in the heart of olden day Elmore, with the high-class citizens walking about, the buildings simple yet intricately designed, and the ravishing fountain at the center of it all. As always, children played around the fountain, splashing each other with its water in carefree laughter.

Gumball took Emery by the hand, guiding him for his first trip around these parts. Remy led the way as he did for Gumball, describing every building, landmark and minute detail for the elderly paintbrush man's indulgence. Emery walked the dirt ground in an uneven, spellbound gait, immersed in the environment, in how visceral it was. Most surprising was these people acknowledging him as he passed by them, giving him as much as either the warmest of salutations or as little as a fleeting glance.

As a modern day Elmorean, there was an inherent sense of disconnect. Whatever word would dare to slip from his tongue would be indecipherable to these men and women. Yet he believed he could resonate with them based on his own fascination with the past. With what his home was like in its formative times.

The tour was not restricted solely to the town square; when the entirety of a single area was fully covered, Remy gave his fingers a snap to bring them other parts of the town. No stone was left unturned. In great detail, he explained to the old museum curator everything there was about whatever part of town they were at present, right down to the smallest nooks and crannies.

When they came by Remy's house, the boy afforded it only a five-second glance before moving onwards. Emery's questions about the house were met with a detached, "It's not important". Out of respect for the boy, he did not press on the matter any further.

"Okay, time for the next part of our tour," announced Remy jovially, hints of his momentary hurt showing in his smile. Hints that would rouse Gumball's worry. The human boy held up his hand high and gave his fingers another. The trio's surroundings underwent another shift, this time more drastic than every other one prior. To Gumball and Emery, this shift took an appearance similar to static in old television sets. Not that Remy would understand, seeing as television was not from his time.

The three of them shifted from one scenario to the next. They were next taken to the cemetery that Remy had shown to Gumball. Emery wandered his eyes here and there, confused. Remy also wandered, his hand clenching into a fist, furious at his seeming lack of control over his own domain. The second that he and Gumball exchanged looks, it struck him that he might have been indirectly responsible for taking them there. The bitterness in him may be well-concealed from the paintbrush man, but not from the feline boy.

Remy, reining in his feelings, snapped his fingers again. He took the three of them to where he intended. They had returned to the entrance of the mines. Emery believed it to be so, anyway.

The elderly paintbrush, however, reeled from the sudden lack of color in not only the atmosphere around him, but on himself. Everything, everyone, was grainy and gray, like a television projecting monochromatic images. He could also swear that his voice sounded fuzzy.

"Don't freak out," urged Remy, his hands raised to Emery to calm him. "This is perfectly normal."

"For you, perhaps. What is going on?" responded Emery, turning around to check every inch of his person. Aside from his loss of color, he remained in one piece. At least that was _some_ reassurance.

"You're just inside one of my recollections."

"Your…recollections?" Emery repeated tentatively, as if he were putting together a jigsaw puzzle.

"They're different from the places that we just visited. In a recollection, you can't interact with anything or anyone in it the same way you can in the landscapes that I made. Case in point." Remy pointed his hand at the entrance, specifically at the minecart tracks. A holographic recreation of himself and his younger sister Julia came in blazing in a minecart, their spirits high as the heavens.

Emery instinctively leapt out of the way, but Gumball and Remy remained where they stood, completely calm and collected. He was dumbfounded, and convinced, to see the two of them unharmed as the minecart passed through them. Remy extended a hand to help him to his feet.

"Let's follow them," said Remy, once again taking point.

Arriving at the chasm, the same one that they were not a moment ago, they watched from atop as the holographic Remy conversed with a nearby Marvelite vein. Gumball and Remy listened to the dialogue, having memorized it down to the very last syllable. They chose to keep silent so as to let Emery to immerse himself into the recollection on his own.

For Remy, every revisit he made to this one conversation felt like the first. It never failed to take him out of his comfort zone. For so long, this invisible person's discourse on the world's impurities, its imperfections, its transgressions, rang true. And he bore that burden in the years, the decades, that followed. Wherever he looked, it was always the same. People who were never satisfied with their lot in life. People engaging in fights with each other over such trivial reasons. People taking their lives out of the immeasureable unhappiness born from their insatiable desires. The world might as well have been upside down. He never knew, it might have been this entire time.

Had the circumstances not been any different, that would have remained his way of thinking. Had the circumstances stayed the same, he would not have made this progress. His heart would have stayed closed.

It was relieving to have more than one person to open his heart to. The bitterness, the despair, the gloom, they melted away seamlessly. The happiness that was lost on him, it returned to him full swing. He had returned to the point where he was unquestioningly happy, where he dwelt on the bliss and nothing more.

At the end of the recollection, Remy transported themselves back to the chasm, where Emery then took a seat on the dirt ground, chin perched on his clasped hands. He meditated on the recent journey deeply. A simpler time, where nothing mattered except the present, except the fellowship between the townspeople. That summed up Elmore's olden days in a nutshell. It also described his own former glories. This comparison made his pinings for those good old days more profound. His heart swelled harder than it ever has, the images in his mind more defined than before.

He could just taste it in the tip of his tongue. To have his former body again, with its spry bones and muscles. To have a head of colored hair once more.

As these thoughts circulated within Emery's mind, Remy made his approach and gazed down at the old paintbrush before taking a seat on the ground himself. He tucked his feet underneath him and clasped his hands together, eyes fixed intently on the paintbrush.

"What?" asked Emery.

"Oh, come on now. Don't try to hide it from me. You want something," said Remy. "It's written all over your face."

"What makes you say that?" Emery resisted, retreating out of defense.

The boy rolled his eyes. After being instructed not to deny the truth, not even five seconds in, and he would go against what was asked of him. "Please. Having to grant so many people's desires, I can see it coming from a mile away. It's an occupational hazard at this point. Now, what do you want from me?"

Swayed by the question, Emery tilted his head down and pondered. On both the boy's clairvoyance and the desires of his heart. He'd come so far, so he might as well open himself, he figured.

"To turn back time," said Emery as he stood on his feet. The ambiguity in his words drew a quizzical look upon Remy's and Gumball's countenances. "To relive those days of old that were wrongfully taken away from me. I want those days back."

Confused, Remy also stood up and made an attempt to decipher the old man's statement. His efforts yielded nothing. "Sorry, I don't think I understand. What _exactly_ do you want from me?"

"I wish to regain my youth. I want to witness those joys once more. I can't do it with these withered bones, this discolored hair, this shriveled skin, these teeth. There is so much more I want to do, so much more waiting for me out there, and I figured that you might be able to help me with that."

Remy registered this request in his mind. This request had been made and granted many times. Emery was far from the first. Every person who asked of this had differing reasons, most of them trivial like simply wanting to live longer or for the sake of courting a man or a woman that they desired. This paintbrush was one of _those_ people, he pondered.

Fulfilling this wish would not be a problem. But if he were to do that, what would it ultimately lead to?

"I can do that for you, sure," said Remy with a nudge of his head. "Just one thing."

"Yes?"

Tapering his eyes and tilting his head slightly forward, the boy said in as low a voice, "Will there be another void for me to fill?"

Emery averted his eyes to the floor at his side, fists clenched and shaking as an abject silence took possession of his body.

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_

 _Over one year since my last update. Yikes. Sorry, it's just that I lost my sense of direction with this particular story somewhere down the road. Until I regained my bearings, I wasn't going to update it, otherwise I'd end up putting out something that was utter crap. Now I have a somewhat clear idea as to how I want to end this story; it's drawing to a close._

 _But in all honesty, I see more potential with_ The Carbon Copy _than with this, since with that story, I'm traversing territory that the show has not traversed yet and may not ever traverse at all. I understand that the entire point of fan fiction is to play out your own made-up fantasies about your favorite piece of media, but considering that the show is still under way and Ben is very ambitious with his baby, I don't want to try and fill a gap that he's already started filling and plans on completely filling in the future for fear that my interpretations will be overshadowed, as with any fan's interpretations._

 _That's not to say that I won't commit myself to finishing what I've started, because I'm damn sure going to. Just that when this is over, it will be a greater load off of my chest than usual._

 _Until that time comes, happy reading and writing, and don't forget to leave your oh-so appreciated critique._


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